The Jed Foundation

I have a son away at college and he is battling depression. We have noticed he is not eating and cannot sleep. Who do we contact to get him some help?

Noticing changes in your child’s behavior is a healthy first step to finding them the help they need. Certainly the eating and sleep symptoms are cause for concern, as are other symptoms such as loss of interest and pleasure in activities and others. The primary concern about depression is suicide. While it may feel uncomfortable, it is really is important to ask about...

My son was diagnosed with depression this past year and he’s been in therapy and on medication for the last six months. Even though he doesn’t really like his treatment, he’s been doing much better. Now he’s applying to colleges all over the country, and I’m wondering how to make sure that he sticks with his treatment while he’s away at school.

Many new students perceive college as “starting over in a new environment,” and assume that the troubles they experienced while in high school will not follow them when they go away to college. Many do not want to be stigmatized by taking medications for psychiatric difficulties. So there are many reasons to be concerned.

I see your approach as two-pronged...

Recently my son’s close friend died by suicide. Since that day he’s been very depressed, his friends say he’s been skipping class and not getting out of bed, and he hasn’t been communicating with us at home as much. We know he needs some time to grieve – we’ve all been very saddened by this event – but how do we know when to intervene and get him back on track?

You ask a very important question which is not easy to answer, because we all grieve in different ways and for different lengths of time. I am glad that you are aware of the changes that you have noticed in your son. This will serve you well when you point out specifically to your son why you are concerned about his behavior, and will serve as benchmarks to monitor change and improvement over time.

My daughter is home for the summer after her freshman year at college and she seems to be acting differently – quieter than usual and spending a lot of time in her room. I noticed a cut on her arm, but when I asked her about it she said it was an accident and pulled her sleeve down. I am worried that she is hurting herself. How can I bring this up without making her more upset?

This is a great question. There are two things to keep in mind when raising this with her.

The first is that if she is injuring herself, it is likely that on some level that she does want you to know...

My son is a freshman in college, and I noticed a blog in his browser history. The title of the blog frightened me, so I looked at it and the blog was about another young person threatening suicide. I am worried my son and his friends think this boy is "cool". Should I be concerned about my son looking at this? Should I say something? Should I report the person talking about suicide?

Social media and its relationship to suicide is a growing concern for suicide prevention and online safety organizations. Your son’s interest in this site could be because he is simply curious, because his friend sent him the link, or because he is having suicidal thoughts – it’s hard to tell. The only way to find out is...