When you are a parent, your child’s health is always at the forefront of your mind. Parents routinely recognize the signs of common physical illnesses in their kids and cart them off to the doctor at the earliest signs of trouble. But would the average parent get a check up for a socially withdrawn teenager or just chalk it up to normal teen moodiness? Without signs as obvious as coughing and sneezing, many parents miss the warning signs of mental illnesses.

The slight chill in the air and a series of damp dark days signal that fall is upon us. The change in the season also means that some people will see an increase in depressive symptoms.

Many media outlets have recently picked up the results of a study published in the American Journal of Public Health which shows that suicide has surpassed car crashes as the leading cause of death by injury. Motor vehicle crashes were the leading cause of death by injury between 2000 and 2008, but in 2009 suicides took the lead.

We were chosen to host 40 incoming freshmen as part of Boston University’s First Year Service Outreach Project (FYSOP). Between August 29th and 31st, we hosted 3 groups of 13 students who spent 7 hours each day volunteering with us. After helping us with numerous projects, we asked them to write about their experiences. Read about their experiences, written in their own words.

Employer matching gifts are a great way for supporters of Families for Depression Awareness to make their dollars stretch even further!  Yet, many people don't know that all they have to do is ask their employer or check on their company website to see if this option is available to them.  Read about how Lynne and Bob support Families for Depression Awareness through Merrill Lynch's matching gift program.

We stumbled across a “Dear Prudence” letter from a couple with a significant history of mental illness who were agonizing over whether or not they should have children. The writer describes herself as someone who has OCD, depression, and PTSD, while her fiancé struggles with social anxiety and alcoholism. They both love children, and have discussed starting a family. But, they have serious concerns about how having kids could affect their mental health, and conversely, how their illnesses may affect their children.

The July 23 issue of Time Magazine article “The War On Suicide” brought the issue of veteran suicide into the mainstream news, and the living rooms and lives of all Americans. The article discussed the implications of the shocking statistic that in the first 155 days of 2012, 154 active duty American troops had committed suicide.

All year long we look forward to the beautiful dog days of summer: warmer weather, days at the beach, longer hours of daylight, grilling, amazing and bountiful summer produce, and getting some much needed rest and relaxation.

We’ve written several blog entries about post-partum depression, and thanks to the number of people speaking out about it, more women are being screened, and are receiving the help they need. One topic that we’ve never covered is prenatal depression – depression during pregnancy. Jessica Grose, a writer for Slate.com, wrote a beautiful article detailing her experiences with this debilitating form of depression.

On Friday July 27, the Mayo Clinic released a statement announcing that Representative Jesse Jackson Jr., who has been absent from Washington since early June, is receiving treatment for depression and gastrointestinal issues at the clinic. “Further information will be released as Congressman Jackson’s evaluation proceeds,” the statement, which the clinic distributed on behalf of Mr. Jackson, said.