Kids often keep their worries hidden, or express them in ways that are hard to read

Writer: Stephanie Cornwell

Clinical Expert: David Friedlander, PsyD

What You'll Learn

- How does depression look different in children, teens, and adults?

- How can parents help their kids deal with depression?

- Quick Read

- Full Article

- Symptoms of depression

- Depression in young children and pre-teens

- Depression in teenagers

- How parents can help with treatment

- How Depression Affects Kids in School

Depression can affect people of any age, but it can be confusing because it often looks different in children, teens, and adults. Depression is typically characterized by feeling sad, empty, or hopeless most of the day, nearly every day. For kids and teens, however, irritability can replace sadness.

The biggest thing to look for in kids is a change in behavior — It’s not just that the child is cranky or down, but that those behaviors are not typical for that child. For children, the change could be a heightened sensitivity to criticism, withdrawal from activities they used to enjoy, and somatic complaints like stomachaches and headaches. In teenagers, social isolation, poor school performance, substance abuse, and self-harm can be symptoms of depression.

If you hear your child talking about attempting suicide, it’s important to talk to them. Depression is treatable, with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) being the most common and evidence-based treatment. Medications may also be used in combination with therapy.

Depression can affect people of any age, but it can be confusing because it often looks different in children, teens, and adults. And since teens are already prone to moodiness, it can be especially hard to tell if they are struggling with depression.

Knowing the signs of depression and how they differ across age ranges can better equip you to get your child help if they need it.

Symptoms of depression

For a person of any age, adiagnosis of depression is typically based on feeling sad, empty, or hopeless most of the day, nearly every day. Other common symptoms include diminished interest in activities they once enjoyed, eating more or less than usual, not sleeping enough or too much, withdrawing from friends and family, and having thoughts of suicide.

For kids and teens, however, irritability can replace sadness. If your child is unusually irritable for no reason, that could be a sign of depression. But it’s more about changes in their behavior than the symptoms themselves.

#James Donaldson notes:
Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.
Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.
Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.  #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle
Find out more about the work I do on my 501c3 non-profit foundation
website www.yourgiftoflife.org Order your copy of James Donaldson's latest book,
#CelebratingYourGiftofLife: From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy

Click Here For More Information About James Donaldson

Click here to follow James Donaldson's Blog

Depression in young children and pre-teens

The key is spotting depression in young kids is to look for a change in behavior, explains David Friedlander, PsyD, a clinical psychologist at the Child Mind Institute. It’s not just that the child is cranky or down but that those behaviors are not typical for that child.

Say your child used to put their homework neatly in a folder in their backpack, and now it’s crumpled in a ball at the bottom of the bag. Maybe they’re suddenly getting into fights or breaking rules in school when they’ve never done that before. Also, a heightened sensitivity to mistakes or criticism, like crying over getting an answer wrong when they used to shrug it off, can be a sign of depression.

Withdrawing from things they used to enjoy is a telltale sign of depression. Young kids rely heavily on their parents to get them to and from activities. So, withdrawal in young kids can look like asking to skip dance class repeatedly or telling their parents not to sign them up for sports anymore.

If kids frequently say something like, “I don’t want to,” or “I can’t,” it could signify that they are struggling with depression, “especially if you’re dealing with a kid who used to have joy for life and age-appropriate participation in activities,” Dr. Friedlander says.

Another sign of depression is sudden and frequent somatic complaints that weren’t there before, like stomachaches and headaches. Stomachaches generally don’t mean your child is depressed, but suddenly having a lot of stomachaches when they didn’t before might. 

If your child is unusually irritable for no reason, even without sadness, that could be a sign of depression. However, there’s also a related mood disorder that’s sometimes diagnosed in extremely irritable kids called disruptive mood dysregulation disorder, which presents as extreme tantrums combined with irritability.

Depression in teenagers

Teenagers are notoriously moody, and often their mood swings aren’t a cause for concern. But if your teenager is much more irritable than they used to be, it could also be a sign of depression. “That’s really the key differentiator,” Dr. Friedlander says. “Teens are sometimes going to be irritable, but if they’re irritable most of the day, nearly every day, that’s one of the criteria for depression.”

As in younger children, social isolation is a major sign of depression in teens. Social isolation and attempts to withdraw can be more than just staying in their room. If they are usually with their friends after school but suddenly start coming home right after, it’s worth talking to them about it. While it’s not unusual for teens to have problems with friends, if your child says, “I’m not friends with so-and-so anymore,” you may want to ask about it.

Another change in behavior to look for in teens is school performance. If they’re suddenly getting D’s and F’s when they used to get good grades, and they’re blaming fatigue or an inability to concentrate, it might be a sign of depression.

Another thing to worry about in teens is self-harm; the most common form is cutting. Teens may cut because they are in intense distress, and the cutting makes them stop ruminating on whatever upsets them.

The most serious thing to look for is if your child is thinking about or attempting suicide. If you hear your child talking about dying, wishing they could disappear, or hurting themselves, it’s important to take it seriously and have an open and honest conversation about what’s happening. Though parents often worry that talking about suicide will make the problem worse, in fact, the evidence is clear that it helps kids to express their feelings, and it gives you an important opportunity to gauge whether they are at risk of hurting themselves and should be taken to the emergency room.

Substance abuse may also be a symptom of depression in teens. Dr. Friedlander notes that parents would have to determine the purpose of the substance use to find out if it’s linked to depression. What is your teen trying to achieve by smoking or drinking? What are they trying to avoid? “Anhedonia, the inability to experience pleasure, is a symptom of depression,” Dr. Friedlander explains. “If being high is the only way the child can have fun, that’s a sign they may be depressed.”

How parents can help with treatment

Depression is treatable. The most common, evidence-based treatment for depression is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which teaches kids to notice and challenge negative, destructive thought patterns. There are several forms of CBT adapted for children and teenagers with depression, including DBT and IPT.

Medications are also used, sometimes in combination with therapy. The most frequently used antidepressant medications include SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors), like Zoloft, Prozac, and Lexapro, and SNRIs (serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors), like Strattera and Cymbalta. 

When it comes to treating younger kids, the parents usually need to be involved more. Parents of an eight-year-old, for example, will need to help schedule activities, make sure the child attends them, and provide incentives to continue completing the activities. With teens, parents’ involvement in the treatment of their depression varies. “Some are motivated enough to follow through on a treatment regimen with minimal support and prefer privacy over involving their parents,” Dr. Friedlander notes. Others need more support or incentives.  

If you think your child or teenager is suicidal, you can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or 911 if there is an emergency. Don’t wait — the risk of suicide in children and teenagers is very real.  https://standingabovethecrowd.com/?p=16652

Kids often keep their worries hidden, or express them in ways that are hard to read

Writer: Roy Boorady, MD

Clinical Expert: Roy Boorady, MD

What You'll Learn

- What does childhood anxiety look like?

- Why is it difficult to diagnose childhood anxiety?

- How is childhood anxiety treated?

- Quick Read

- Full Article

- Outward signs of childhood anxiety

- Consequences of untreated anxiety

- Avoidance reinforces anxiety

- Anxiety leads to depression

All kids worry sometimes. But when worry makes it hard for them to participate in daily life, they may have an anxiety disorder. Because anxiety often affects a child’s thoughts and feelings more than it affects their behavior, it can be hard to spot. It’s also possible for a child to be generally happy but still so anxious that it interferes with some aspect of their life, like school or socializing.

Common outward signs that a child might be anxious include troubling sleeping, lots of stomachaches or headaches, clinging to parents, and throwing tantrums. Some of these symptoms may look like oppositional behavior, but really the child is struggling to deal with overwhelming worry. Anxiety can also make it hard to focus or sit still, so it can be hard to tell anxiety apart from ADHD.

Untreated anxiety in childhood can lead to more anxiety in adulthood, so it’s important to get anxious kids help. The good news is that childhood anxiety is very treatable. Most anxious kids respond well to a kind of therapy called cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Medication can also help. By getting treatment early, kids can learn to manage their worries and keep anxiety from interfering with their lives.

It is a natural thing to have anxiety. It is normal for very young children to be afraid of the dark, or for school-age children to worry about making friends. But sometimes normal childhood anxiety morphs into something more serious. A young girl might be afraid to ever leave her mother’s side, even to get on the school bus, or an anxious boy may need frequent reassurance over things that happened a month ago.

Even young children can develop an anxiety disorder. Eventually the disorder can start interfering with a child’s friendships, life at home, and work in school. Even so, the anxiety still might not be noticeable to parents and caregivers.

For one thing, being anxious doesn’t necessarily mean that you can’t function — it might just make some kinds of functioning more difficult. A homework assignment that should take 20 minutes might take an hour, for example. With anxiety, it’s important to remember how internal it is. It dominates a child’s thoughts, but it might not be obvious to the people around them.

It’s also worth noting that in my work as a child psychiatrist I see a lot of anxious kids who are still basically happy and enjoying life. Maybe they are only struggling in certain situations, which may make their anxiety all the easier to overlook.

Outward signs of childhood anxiety

When anxiety is expressed outwardly, there can be a wide range of signs and symptoms, which often complicates identification.

- Kids may have trouble sleeping or complain about stomachaches or other physical problems.

- They may become avoidant and clingy around parents or caregivers.

- They might also have trouble focusing in class or be very fidgety — I like to say, “Not all that moves is ADHD,” even though that’s often the first thing we suspect from a hyperactive or inattentive child.

- They may have explosive outbursts that make people think they are oppositional, when their fight-or-flight mechanism is triggered.

The words we use to describe our anxiety can distract, too. People use a lot of different words to describe what they’re feeling — kids might say they are self-conscious, shy, apprehensive, worried, or afraid. These words do a good job capturing what they are struggling with, but fixating too much on them can distract from the fact that anxiety is underlying factor — not some personal failure in personality. 

Consequences of untreated anxiety

If you look at the prevalence rates of anxiety disorders, you’ll see that the numbers rise as children get older. That makes sense because anxiety disorders are cognitive, so they develop as our cognitive ability develops. Separation anxiety, for instance, develops early, where as social anxiety disorder usually develops after puberty. A study of more than 10,000 kids, interviewed by trained professionals, shows that more than 30 percent had developed an anxiety disorder some time before they were 18.

Anxiety frequently recurs, too, and childhood anxiety is often a precursor for adult anxiety, especially for kids who don’t receive treatment. The same study showed that 80 percent of kids with anxiety do not get treatment. Many adults seeking help for anxiety remember feeling anxious when they were younger, which means that they’ve been struggling for a long time and could have benefited from treatment as children.

#James Donaldson notes:
Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.
Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.
Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.  #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle
Find out more about the work I do on my 501c3 non-profit foundation
website www.yourgiftoflife.org Order your copy of James Donaldson's latest book,
#CelebratingYourGiftofLife: From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy

Click Here For More Information About James Donaldson

Click here to follow James Donaldson's Blog

Avoidance reinforces anxiety

Kids with untreated anxiety also begin to develop poor coping skills. A common example is avoidance — people who are very anxious will try to contain it by avoiding the thing that makes them anxious. It’s a short-term solution that unfortunately reinforces their anxiety instead of acclimating them to it.

Similarly, untreated anxiety can lead to lower self-esteem, academic dysfunction, and self-medication through substance abuse.

Anxiety leads to depression

People living with anxiety for extended periods of time are also more likely to develop depression. It isn’t uncommon to meet patients who come seeking treatment for depression or depressive symptoms and it turns out that they have been dealing with lifelong anxiety as well. In cases like this people need treatment for anxiety and depression.

Fortunately, we know a lot about how to treat anxiety. It responds very well to cognitive behavior therapy, and there are medications that work, too. Getting help makes a big difference, and treatment doesn’t need to be a lifelong thing — although its positive effects will be.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does anxiety look like in a child?

Anxiety in a child can look like many different kinds of symptoms. Anxious children may have trouble sleeping, complain about stomachaches, avoid certain places or things, cling to parents, have trouble focusing in school, or have extreme tantrums when they get overwhelmed. https://standingabovethecrowd.com/?p=16644

The former wide receiver’s passing comes as suicide rates among young Black men climb sharply, especially in Georgia

by Alyssa Johnson

Rondale Moore warms up prior to a game between the Atlanta Falcons and the Carolina Panthers in Atlanta

We can bring these stories to you!

When news broke last week that Rondale Moore, a 25-year-old former Atlanta Falcons player, died by a suspected self-inflicted gunshot wound, it stunned fans and coaches while raising alarm with mental health professionals. 

Authorities in New Albany, Indiana, said Moore was found dead in the garage of a property in the area and that his death is under investigation.

Moore’s death highlights a broader public-health crisis: the rise of suicide among young adults, especially young Black men, in the U.S. and in Georgia.

Analysis from Stateline using federal data shows that suicide is claiming more lives among Gen Z adults, roughly ages 18 to 27, than it did a decade ago when millennials were the same age. 

The report found that the increase is not evenly spread across populations, as 85% of the growth in suicide deaths among Gen Z is among Black and Hispanic men, with the largest spikes occurring in Southern and Midwestern states, including Georgia.

In Georgia, the increase in suicide among men 18 to 27 was among the highest in the nation, rising by 70% between 2014 and 2024.

Michael Giglio, executive director of Giving Health, a nonprofit organization that offers free virtual primary care and mental health services for low income and uninsured residents, said that the majority of its clients are Black and face barriers to accessing mental health services.

“It can be very difficult to access affordable mental health services, and in Georgia, further complicating the challenges, there’s a significant shortfall in the number of mental health providers for population size,” Giglio said. 

Giglio said that the lack of access to mental health services and support from community or individual relationships play a large role in male suicides.

“Those three things can really overwhelm and overcome someone who’s struggling, that doesn’t have a trusted, intimate relationship with a friend, a family member, a partner, and doesn’t have the resources to seek out counseling, or there may be cultural hesitation to pursue counseling as well,” Giglio said.

Giglio said some of the stressors facing men who may be experiencing suicidal thoughts could be anything from finances to a history of abuse and trauma — and for Black men in particular, race-related trauma. 

A study from the University of Georgia in 2024 revealed that being raised in an environment with limited resources and facing racial discrimination in early adulthood can hinder the ability to form healthy, trusting relationships. Deep mistrust and wariness toward others may result in social isolation, which can ultimately lead to thoughts of death and suicide.

“I think we often don’t look at where the disparities are and who the individuals most at risk are when we’re talking about suicide ideation,” Michael Curtis, co-author of the study, told UGA Today. “We just know it’s bad, and particularly among young Black men.”

“Historically, research has not invested a lot of time and effort in looking into what are the unique cultural contexts that make certain men more at risk for suicidal thoughts than other men,” Curtis said.

#James Donaldson notes:
Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.
Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.
Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.  #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle
Find out more about the work I do on my 501c3 non-profit foundation
website www.yourgiftoflife.org Order your copy of James Donaldson's latest book,
#CelebratingYourGiftofLife: From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy

Click Here For More Information About James Donaldson

Click here to follow James Donaldson's Blog

In an interview last year with Capital B Atlanta, Morehouse College President F. DuBois Bowman said that the all-male HBCU is working to increase services to address the mental health issues of its students after a spate of suicides in recent years.  

“One of the things we’ve seen shifting very rapidly is the demand for increased mental health support. That is on college campuses, but in society more broadly,” Bowman said.

“We see issues of anxiety. We see issues of depression show up on our campus with excellent students who are very capable of succeeding, but we have to make sure we figure out how to support them in their journeys,” he said. “I think it’s our responsibility at Morehouse, and in the higher education landscape more generally, to think about how best to do so.”

A standout at Purdue University, Moore was selected in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals. After three seasons in Arizona, he was traded to the Atlanta Falcons in 2024 but suffered a knee injury during training camp, preventing him from ever playing a game for Atlanta. 

He was remembered by the team on social media: “Rest in peace, Rondale Moore. Our thoughts and prayers are with Rondale’s family and friends.”

If you or someone you know is thinking about self-harm, call or text 988 to connect with the National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, and speak with a compassionate, trained counselor 24/7. This service is free and confidential. https://standingabovethecrowd.com/?p=16639

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0rVwulxZ8k

#James Donaldson notes:
Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.
Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.
Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.  #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle
Find out more about the work I do on my 501c3 non-profit foundation
website www.yourgiftoflife.org Order your copy of James Donaldson's latest book,
#CelebratingYourGiftofLife: From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy

Click Here For More Information About James Donaldson

Click here to follow James Donaldson's Blog https://standingabovethecrowd.com/?p=16634

And how does it affect children and teenagers?

Writer: Caroline Miller

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgIPkigb8dI

What You'll Learn

- How does binge eating develop in children and teenagers?

- What is loss of control eating?

- How can we help kids with binge eating or loss of control eating?

- Quick Read

- Full Article

- Kids and binge eating disorder

- Diagnosing binge eating disorder

- How are kids different from adults with BED?

- Who is at risk for binge eating disorder?

- Treatment for binge eating disorder

- CBT for binge eating in teenagers

- IPT for binge eating in teenagers

- Scalable treatments

Binge eating — consuming an unusually large amount of food in a short period of time — was classified as an eating disorder in 2013. It is usually diagnosed in teenagers and young adults, but children can also develop binge eating.

One of the characteristics of binge eating is that the person feels they have lost control of their eating. They feel they can’t stop eating. And this loss of control (LOC) eating sometimes develops in children (as young as eight years old) who will later develop full-blown binge eating disorder (BED). So identifying and treating children with LOC eating could be an important way to prevent adult BED and weight gain.

Adults with BED usually report that their eating binges are triggered by negative feelings, but kids generally don’t. Instead they describe feeling zoned out. And rather than intending or planning to binge, they tend to do it when an opportunity arises, such as after school when parents aren’t home or are otherwise occupied. BED is often diagnosed in teenagers who are looking for weight loss treatment, who may not even realize they have an eating disorder.

Most of the research on BED has been done in adults with the disorder, but experts are adapting adult treatments for adolescents and children. Two kinds of therapy are being used to help kids with binge eating.

In cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) kids learn to change their eating habits to prioritize regular meals and healthy foods. They also work on self-regulation and impulse-control skills.

In interpersonal therapy (IPT), kids get help improving relationships that may be troubling them, triggering binge eating episodes.

Binge eating, which involves consuming an unusually large amount of food in a short time, has long been associated with weight problems and psychological distress.  But it’s only since 2013 that repeatedbinge eating has been classified as an eating disorder. Binge eating disorder is usually first diagnosed in teenagers or young adults, but it can also occur in children.

It’s not just the unusual amount of food eaten that defines binge eating. People with the disorder also report feeling a loss of control while eating. And when it comes to children and adolescents who struggle with binge eating, experts say it’s more useful to focus on the “loss of control” experience than the amount of food consumed in an eating binge.

That’s in part because when you’re talking about kids, it’s hard to be clear what “large amount” means — it varies for different ages, genders anddevelopmental stages, explains Marian Tanofsky-Kraff, PhD, a researcher of binge eating in youth and a professor at the Uniformed Services University School of Medicine. “If you have a 14-year-old boy going through a burst of puberty, he could easily eat a whole pizza. Is that large?” asks Dr. Tanofsky-Kraff. “What about an eight-year-old girl who’s eating four slices of pizza? Is that too much?”

But it’s also important to focus on the loss of control (LOC) experience because it’s a behavior that often appears in kids before they have developed full-blown binge eating disorder (BED). Kids who have episodes of LOC eating — regardless of the amount eaten — have been shown to be at higher risk for developing BED and adult obesity. So interventions that treat LOC eating in kids may be an important way to prevent BED.

Kids and binge eating disorder

Most young people who are diagnosed with BED are identified because they are seeking treatment for obesity, explains Andrea Goldschmidt, PhD, an associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine whose research focuses on LOC. They often don’t know they have an eating disorder.

“When I ask kids and their families where they want to start, often times it will be weight loss,” Dr. Goldschmidt says. “And we have to help them understand that the thing they need to work on before they can lose the weight is managing their binge eating.”

Binge eating disorder is rarely flagged by pediatricians and other doctors. That is in part because doctors don’t think of eating disorders when they see a patient at an above average or higher weight, notes Dr. Tanofsky-Kraff. But more broadly, doctors often avoid talking to kids about their weight, for fear of undermining their self-esteem.

Drs. Goldschmidt and Tanofsky-Kraff report seeing LOC eating in kids as young as eight years old. And they’ve seen kids with the full-blown BED as young as 12 or 13.

Diagnosing binge eating disorder

The primary symptoms of BED are recurring episodes of binge eating. Those episodes are defined by eating more food than most people would consume in a discrete period of time — for instance, within a 2-hour period — and a sense of lack of control over eating during the episode. A person with BED feels unable to stop.

The episodes may also be characterized by:

- Eating much more rapidly than normal

- Eating until feeling uncomfortably full

- Eating large amounts of food when not feeling physically hungry

- Eating alone because of feeling embarrassed by how much one is eating

- Feeling disgusted with oneself, depressed or very guilty afterward

For a BED diagnosis, these episodes must occur at least once a week, have continued for 3 months, and be causing serious distress. Individuals with the disorder are typically ashamed of their eating problems and often eat in secret to hide their symptoms.

How are kids different from adults with BED?

While adults who have BED tend to say their episodes are triggered by negative feelings, younger kids generally don’t connect them to feeling bad. That may be because they’re not able to articulate their feelings, Dr. Tanofsky-Kraff notes. “A lot of children talk about feeling like they’re zoning out or paralyzed. They describe a sort of numbing out when they’re eating. We’re not 100 percent sure why, but we think part of it is because they’re using food to cope, to deal with aversive feelings.”

Unlike adults with the disorder, kids don’t tend to plan for binges. Instead, the episodes happen when there is an opportunity.

Often kids report that they don’t eat regularly during the school day. “I will often hear that they don’t want to bring a packed lunch and say the food at school is gross, so they’re coming home from school very hungry,” explains Dr. Tanofsky-Kraff. “Maybe nobody else is home, or their parents are busy doing something else. Those after-school hours can be the prime risk period for loss-of-control eating.”

Who is at risk for binge eating disorder?

Like other eating disorders, girls are more likely to develop BED than boys. And the disorder is highly heritable.

Young people who have been engaging in unhealthy dieting to lose weight are also at higher risk for BED. They restrict their eating so much that they become famished, and they feel deprived. Then they end up overeating and feeling out of control later.

Research led by Dr. Tanofsky-Kraff published in American Psychologist proposes that there are several factors that, combined, may increase the development of BED and high weight among youth who report LOC eating behaviors. They are:

- Negative mood: experiencing depression, anxiety, stress or interpersonal difficulties

- Responsiveness to foods: being particularly sensitive to food as rewarding

- Executive functioning issues: poor impulse control and self-regulation skills

Research has also found that a greater percentage of kids with ADHD have recurring LOC incidents than kids without ADHD.

Treatment for binge eating disorder

Treatment for BED has been studied more in adults than teenagers.  For adults, several forms of therapy have been shown to be effective.

- Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT): CBT is the most studied and well-established form of therapy for BED. CBT works with patients to normalize eating patterns, develop self-control and modify negative views of themselves in order to reduce binge eating.

- Interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT): IPT focuses on improving interpersonal skills to foster healthy relationships and a positive self-image, and helps individuals manage negative feelings without turning to food.

- Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT): DBT focuses on improving emotional regulation skills to avoid using binge eating as a way of responding to painful emotional experience.

There are three kinds of medicine that have been found to help reduce BED in adults, sometimes in conjunction with therapy:

- Stimulant medications developed for ADHD, which may reduce impulsiveness (Vyvanse is FDA-approved for BED in adults).

- Antidepressants, including SSRIs, which may reduce binges by boosting mood.

- Anti-seizure drugs like Topamax, which help stabilize mood and reduce impulse control problems.

Drs. Goldschmidt and Tanofsky-Kraff are both involved in adapting adult treatments for use with teenagers. They emphasize that there is not yet enough research to establish a gold standard treatment for kids with the disorder.

CBT for binge eating in teenagers

Dr. Goldschmidt uses CBT to help young people reset their eating habits to reduce extreme dieting and prioritize regular eating and flexibility with respect to food choices. There is also a big focus on helping kids improve their self-regulation around eating, and strengthening self-regulation skills in general.

Dr. Goldschmidt sees promise in web-based interventions for teenagers, given how much they are online already, and because issues like access and stigma might limit their willingness to engage in face-to-face therapy. In her work, she uses smartphones to collect data on how kids are feeling and what they’re doing, including eating. It’s called “ecological momentary assessment.”

“We ping them throughout the day, or they respond to surveys at the time that they have an eating episode,” Dr. Goldschmidt explains, “and they’re answering a series of questions about where they are, who they are with, how they are feeling, and what they are doing.”

This allows clinicians to offer guidance in real time. “We can identify the momentary factors, as they’re occurring, that are going to trigger a binge eating episode, and we can intervene in the moment to tell them, ‘It looks like you’re heading into a party with your friends. Let’s think about the ways that you’re going to avoid overeating at the buffet table,’” Dr. Goldschmidt adds.

Once patterns are established, Dr. Goldschmidt says, teens can be sent periodic reminders for high-risk situations, or when they’re likely to be experiencing a trigger, to remind them to practice skills they have learned. Dr. Goldschmidt calls this technology-based treatment “CBT augmented by self-regulation interventions.”

#James Donaldson notes:
Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.
Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.
Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.  #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle
Find out more about the work I do on my 501c3 non-profit foundation
website www.yourgiftoflife.org Order your copy of James Donaldson's latest book,
#CelebratingYourGiftofLife: From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy

Click Here For More Information About James Donaldson

Click here to follow James Donaldson's Blog

IPT for binge eating in teenagers

Dr. Tanofsky-Kraff advocates using IPT, which is focused on helping the child to understand relationship issues that may make them turn to overeating.  

Kids who are binge eating are usually struggling with relationships, she says. You might assume that their biggest concerns would be friendships and acceptance by peers, she adds, but it’s usually stressors with their parents. “We did a study where we looked at all the problem areas to see what was it that was prompting their loss of control episodes, and it was most frequently difficulties with their parents.”

IPT helps kids focus on interpersonal issues that are related to their eating. “For instance,” she notes, “if every day when you come home from school you’re having a battle with your mom, you feel badly, and you use food to cope.”

Dr. Tanofsky-Kraff stresses that IPT improves not only kids’ eating habits but also their lives. “It goes deeper, to what is promoting the loss of control. It also improves relationships and mood symptoms, and loss of control is highly comorbid with things like anxiety and depression.”

Scalable treatments

Dr. Goldschmidt notes the importance of developing scalable interventions that could be used to get care to kids who may have poor access to mental health professionals. “We know that binge eating affects kids who are under-resourced, maybe come from minority populations, like racial and ethnic minority youth, and don’t have adequate insurance coverage.”  

She sees hope in the use of technology like smartphones that could enable short-term treatment that targets the eating behaviors and starts to address the mechanisms, though she recognizes that this kind of treatment “is not going to cover all of the bases in terms of what’s underlying the eating disorder.”

Frequently Asked Questions

What is binge eating disorder (BED)?

Binge eating disorder (BED) involves eating unusually large amounts of food in a short time and a feeling of loss of control. A person with BED feels they can’t stop eating. Loss of control (LOC) eating sometimes develops in children as young as eight years old who can later develop binge eating disorder.

What are binges usually triggered by?

What is the treatment for binge eating disorder? https://standingabovethecrowd.com/?p=16630

A person sitting and feeling depressed on bed with city view in dusk moment. Stay home, depression and loneliness concept.

Christopher Brown, Staff Writer

Content warning: mentions of sexual assault and suicide.

Suicide is one of the leading causes of death among Americans, including college students. Conversations about mental health often center on those visibly struggling, but visibility and risk are not the same. Stigma and misconceptions around men’s mental health, in particular, prevent many from receiving help.   

“Mental health normal,” senior and president of the Men’s Mental Health Club (MMHC) at Villanova, Zander DeLuca, said. “It’s something that everyone—male and female—goes through, and it is a shame that it’s so stigmatized, specifically in the male community, just based on how men were grown and raised.”  

Men account for roughly 75 to 80% of suicide deaths per year. CDC data reports 38,925 male lives lost in 2024 alone. SAMHSA data further indicate that adults aged 18 to 25 report the highest prevalence of suicidal thoughts, with similar rates among men and women.  

In 2019, a study of children and young adults (ages 12 to 29) in the Journal of Adolescent Health focusing on LGBT youth also shed light on suicide among non-LGBT youth. It emphasized the need for inclusive prevention strategies. DeLuca cautions against generalizing experiences, noting that people cope, behave and grow up differently. 

  Non-LGBT youth accounted for roughly 90% of the cases in the study, and four of every five of those were male. In addition, the data confirmed disquieting truths about suicide in young men.  

First, most non-LGBT male suicide cases had no history of mental illness. Relationship issues were commonly reported. Seven out of ten (1,100) of the men and boys in the study had no mental illness before death. 62% of them faced intimate partner problems, ranging from bad breakups and cheating to ongoing conflicts. It even included experiences of physical or emotional abuse. 

Recent national survey data from the CDC/NISVS corroborate these findings. They indicate that nearly one in three men experience intimate partner violence. Most of it occurs before turning 25. About 1-in-4 report experiencing sexual violence, and 1-in-14 report being made to penetrate. These experiences are often underreported, stigmatized or subject to differing legal classifications.  

Villanova University survey data show that male students who experience relationship or sexual violence often describe similar experiences to female survivors. Given how frequently relationship issues appear, small shifts in how peers respond may be critical. DeLuca suggested asking “Are you okay?” or “How can I help?” to start conversations that a casual “How are you?” cannot. 

#James Donaldson notes:
Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.
Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.
Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.  #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle
Find out more about the work I do on my 501c3 non-profit foundation
website www.yourgiftoflife.org Order your copy of James Donaldson's latest book,
#CelebratingYourGiftofLife: From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy

Click Here For More Information About James Donaldson

Click here to follow James Donaldson's Blog

Male survivors often report difficulty recognizing or disclosing abuse. Social expectations around masculinity can discourage vulnerability. Public narratives frequently emphasize men as perpetrators of violence while stories of male victims and female-perpetrated violence receive less attention in comparison, making it harder for male survivors and anyone harmed by a female perpetrator to seek help or recognize their abuse. 

Perhaps the most unsettling truth from the study is that some men already sought help before taking suicidal action. One in six of the men and boys were in treatment for mental illness at the time of death, and about half had a history of suicide attempts or suicidal thoughts as well. Despite this tragedy, that does not mean men talking about their feelings never works, as sophomore and MMHC co-president Luke Brocius can attest. 

“What I learned, especially from talking to some of these presenters and these mental health kinds of people, is that when men do speak out, when men actually do decide to identify and figure out their problems, there is a huge success rate,” Brocius said.

Brocius’ words suggest that outcomes improve significantly when men can identify and address their tribulations early. 

So, the question is: How can modern mental health resources improve success, especially in an academic institution? Anthony Ciliberto, assistant director for Fraternity and Sorority Life, shared his answer. 

“What works is not telling men to be vulnerable, but creating conditions where vulnerability is normalized and rewarded,” Ciliberto said.  

Effective strategies include peer mentorship mixed with small-group dialogue, storytelling from respected male role models and skill-building around emotional literacy. Help-seeking must be framed as a strength rather than a weakness. People must offer multiple entry points to support men, such as conversation, movement, service and creativity. 

Men interested in the MMHC can find more information about them on Instagram @mensmentalhealthvu. The University offers multiple resources for students suffering from mental illness, suicidal ideation, sexual misconduct and more, such as the University Counseling Center and Title IX. Off campus, there are hotlines dedicated to suicide prevention, domestic violence and sexual violence, such as the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. 

Check in on the men you care about. A simple “Are you OK?” or “How can I help?” can potentially save a person’s life.

A person sitting and feeling depressed on bed with city view in dusk moment. Stay home, depression and loneliness concept. https://standingabovethecrowd.com/?p=16625

Katherine ShortDead at 42

Martin Short's daughter, Katherine, has taken her own life ... TMZ has learned.

The 42-year-old died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound ... law enforcement sources tell TMZ.

LAPD and the fire department responded to her Hollywood Hills home Monday, shortly after 6:40 PM PT, where she was found deceased.

A representative tells TMZ ... "It is with profound grief that we confirm the passing of Katherine Hartley Short. The Short family is devastated by this loss, and asks for privacy at this time. Katherine was beloved by all and will be remembered for the light and joy she brought into the world."

Katherine -- the daughter of Short and Nancy Dolman, Martin's wife of 30 years who passed away in 2010 of ovarian cancer -- worked as a social worker in Los Angeles after receiving her bachelor's degree from NYU and her master's in social work from USC several years later.

Katherine was involved with a nonprofit organization called Bring Change To Mind, which works to break down stigmas connected to mental health issues.

While her father is obviously very famous, Katherine mostly stayed out of the public eye ... attending a few events with her father throughout the years. She was the eldest of Short's three children.

#James Donaldson notes:
Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.
Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.
Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.  #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle
Find out more about the work I do on my 501c3 non-profit foundation
website www.yourgiftoflife.org Order your copy of James Donaldson's latest book,
#CelebratingYourGiftofLife: From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy

Click Here For More Information About James Donaldson

Click here to follow James Donaldson's Blog

We last saw Katherine in January 2020 outside Craig's ... a world-famous restaurant in West Hollywood.

This is the second personal tragedy Short has felt in the last several weeks ... having recently paid tribute to his longtime friend Catherine O'Hara after she passed away last month.

Short has comedy shows with Steve Martin scheduled for Friday in Milwaukee and Saturday in Minneapolis. Staff members for the theaters told us it's unclear whether the shows will take place.

Katherine was 42.

RIP

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. https://standingabovethecrowd.com/?p=16621