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Program offers strategies to fight teen depression

Daily Star, The (Oneonta, NY) - 11/9/2015

Nov. 09--Area residents will be able to learn more about a health issue that affects 1 in every 10 teens at a Monday program in Margaretville.

The focus will be on adolescent depression at the session scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Margaretville Central School auditorium.

The Auxiliary of Margaretville Hospital and Mountainside Residential Care Center is sponsoring the event in conjunction with Margaretville and Roxbury central schools, as part of the Auxiliary's Marian Connell Wellness Committee.

The presentation will be by Dr. Danilynn Hago, who provides counselling services at Margaretville and Roxbury central schools. A question-and-answer session will follow the session that is open to the public.

Wellness Committee Chairman John Riedl is also a retired Margaretville Central School superintendent. He said that with Delaware County health officials identifying mental health as an important issue in meeting the needs of residents, this is an effort to support that goal. It is possible because of the availability of Hago and the willingness of the two schools to be involved. He is hopeful those who attend the program will come away with a greater awareness of the problem and its impact on all those affected.

County Mental Health Senior Staff Social Worker Doug Elston agreed that adolescent depression is an important issue.

Parents, community members and school personnel are among the groups that should be aware of the warning signs that indicate a child is struggling with the issue, he said. It is something that should concern "anyone who interacts with children."

The problem generally lasts more than a few days and includes changes in behavior, including lack of sleep and appetite. It often manifests itself as irritability in the child, he said.

He does not have statistics on how many adolescents in the county are affected, but for those that are, the place to start is to get help through an assessment by a licensed mental health professional. Treatment can focus on changes in lifestyle, including nutrition, exercise and sleep, followed by verbal therapy. Medication could be an adjunct to the latter but it would never be used alone, he said.

Roxbury Central School Superintendent Thomas O'Brien said he is also on the Margaretville Hospital Board. The subject has been an ongoing concern because of the lack of mental services in his area of the county, he said. This is part of an effort to "fill the gap."

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