The Secret Life of Teens
What You Don't Know About Them—What They May Not Want to Know About Themselves

AUTHOR: Thomas F. Barrett, Ph.D., Hanna Perkins Center for Child Development

TOPIC: Understanding teen behavior and development

TARGET AUDIENCE: Parents, educators, clinicians and anyone who works or lives with teens

This is a very interesting article about the deep loneliness that characterizes today’s teens and how it shapes their behavior, attitudes, and relationships. It talks about what teens do to try to fill the emptiness inside and what parents can do to help them progress from being loved and wanting the love of their parents during their childhood years through a transformative process that results in being ready and available to extend unconditional love to another in a mature adult relationship.

Bipolar Disorder in Children and Teens: A Parent’s Guide

AUTHOR: The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

TOPIC: Understanding bipolar disorder in youth

TARGET AUDIENCE: Parents

All parents can relate to the many changes their kids go through as they grow up. But sometimes it's hard to tell if a child is just going through a "phase," or perhaps showing signs of something more serious. Recently, doctors have been diagnosing more children with bipolar disorder, sometimes called manic-depressive illness. But what does this illness really mean for a child? This booklet is a guide for parents who think their child may have symptoms of bipolar disorder, or parents whose child has been diagnosed with the illness.