WHILE IT IS helpful to identify populations of teens who are considered at high risk for attempting suicide, it is essential to understand the mental health of all teens. The stresses of adolescence are well recognized: physical and hormonal change coupled with pressures in school and at home, and new, more adult responsibilities such as a parttime job, taking care of siblings, or simply learning to drive. For some teens, however, the pressures of puberty take a greater toll. Mental health specialist Robert M. Cavanaugh Jr. and his colleagues warn that "while you can count on a teen to be intermittently moody or rebellious, signals such as protracted sadness, persistent high anxiety, or repeated episodes of serious misbehavior merit psychological evaluation."

Depression is a core cause

What seems like average teen worries to outsiders may in fact be depression, one of the core causes...