Reference Reviews

Doug’s Student Reference Room

Depression, edited by Jacqueline Langwith. 168 pp. Farmington Hills, MI: Greenhaven Press. ISBN 13: 978-0-7377-4246-6. $34.95.

According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Mental Health, two million American teens suffered from a major depressive episode in 2007. Among these, more than 40% who had medical insurance received some type of medical attention and help, while just more than 17% of those without some type of coverage sought help. In spite of a growing body of research, depression remains challenging to diagnose and treat. This volume in Greenhaven's Perspectives on Diseases and Disorders series provides a suitable overview for middle school and high school readers. The section on understanding depression details major types, causes, symptoms and treatment. Gender and ethnic components also are explored; twice the percentage of women as men experience a major depression episode in their lifetime, while African-American, Hispanic and Caucasian groups all report different rates of depression. The middle section of this volume examines controversies around the issue, including its status as a disease, the use or overuse of antidepressants and the efficacy of electroconvulsive therapy as a treatment. As with other volumes in this series, the final section includes personal stories related to the disease. Included here is the heart-wrenching story of a father who lost two of his adult children to suicide, one undiagnosed, the other diagnosed and in treatment and therapy for more than a decade. The final story, told by a New Orleans journalist thrown into depression during Hurricane Katrina, emphasizes the role that antidepressants can play in treating depression and ultimately in saving lives. As with other volumes in this series, simple graphics, color photos, “fast facts” offset in bright yellow boxes and simple language target teen readers. A glossary, an historical timeline, an annotated list of organizations to contact, a print and video bibliography and a general index conclude the volume. Recommended for middle school and high school libraries.
—Doug Achterman