Teenage Blues or Depression? A Parents Guide
12
8:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Winter is often when parents begin to notice a dip in their teenager’s mood, energy and motivation. Shorter days, darker evenings, school pressures and the natural urge to “hibernate” can all play a part in this shift. Also, recent guidance for schools has shown the importance of helping young people understand that feeling worried or down from time to time doesn’t automatically mean there is an emerging mental health condition.
At the same time, many parents are understandably concerned about how to recognise when a seasonal slump is drifting into something more persistent. In this session, we’ll explore what typical low mood looks like, when to pay closer attention, and which signs may indicate a diagnosable depression. We’ll look at how teens make sense of their feelings, and offer grounded, practical ways parents can support them.
Our aim is to help parents keep their teens motivated, feel confident in spotting the difference, opening up gentle conversations, and knowing when it might be the right moment to seek further help.
Speaker
Sarah-Jane Knight
Dr
Dr Sarah-Jane Knight is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Psychology Specialism Lead for a national provider of specialist education, and the lead for Commune Psychology. She has core training in CBT, systemic, and psychodynamic approaches, with additional expertise in group psychoanalytic psychotherapy, attachment-focused therapies, trauma treatment, and autism assessment (including ADOS). She has worked in both outpatient and inpatient NHS services, in private practice, and in a specialist service for adopted children. At Commune Psychology, Sarah-Jane is a national provider for specialist education and residential children's services.
12
8:00 PM - 9:00 PM