Does My Teen Need Medication?
Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2025 8:49 am
Tailored to meet the needs of emotionally troubled teens – especially those dealing with depression, family or social problems, behavioral issues and/or academic difficulties – therapeutic boarding schools can help provide the professional medical and psychological guidance your teen needs to make a healthy recovery. Equally important, the boarding environment also ensures teens receives consistent, around-the-clock care through some of the most critical times in their lives.
You might have heard about recent “black box warnings” on prescription antidepressants for adolescents highlighting an increased risk of suicide for teens on these medications.
The labels are intended to alert parents, but they email data mean you should delay or resist getting help for your teen. Many clinicians believe one reason that teen suicide rates have climbed is due to an overreaction to these warnings. The labels do mean that it’s important to work closely with your teen’s medical professionals – and to keep a close eye on their behavior while they are on the antidepressant. It’s also essential that your child work regularly with an adolescent therapist and/or psychiatrist in addition to taking the medication.
While you need to take the advice of your child’s doctors and counselors seriously, if you’re not completely comfortable placing your teen on an antidepressant, you may want to work with their medical professionals to explore alternative therapies first.
The Bottom Line
If your teen shows any of the risk factors for depression – or suicide – getting them the help they need is absolutely essential. Finding the right combination of counseling, medication and guidance – or even a full-time therapeutic boarding program – could help them make the transition from troubled teen to thriving.
You might have heard about recent “black box warnings” on prescription antidepressants for adolescents highlighting an increased risk of suicide for teens on these medications.
The labels are intended to alert parents, but they email data mean you should delay or resist getting help for your teen. Many clinicians believe one reason that teen suicide rates have climbed is due to an overreaction to these warnings. The labels do mean that it’s important to work closely with your teen’s medical professionals – and to keep a close eye on their behavior while they are on the antidepressant. It’s also essential that your child work regularly with an adolescent therapist and/or psychiatrist in addition to taking the medication.
While you need to take the advice of your child’s doctors and counselors seriously, if you’re not completely comfortable placing your teen on an antidepressant, you may want to work with their medical professionals to explore alternative therapies first.
The Bottom Line
If your teen shows any of the risk factors for depression – or suicide – getting them the help they need is absolutely essential. Finding the right combination of counseling, medication and guidance – or even a full-time therapeutic boarding program – could help them make the transition from troubled teen to thriving.