Your teenager has gone quiet. Withdrawn. Different. And you don't know what to do.
Depression in teenagers looks nothing like what most parents expect. It doesn't always look like sadness — it looks like irritability, isolation, falling grades, lost interest in everything they used to love. And in many African families, it goes unrecognised and unspoken for far too long.
Helping Your Teen Navigate Depression is the practical guide that fills that gap.
Written by Dr Adegoke O. Adefolalu — a medical doctor, public health specialist, and Fellow of the Royal Society of Public Health — this book gives parents the knowledge and tools to recognise depression early, communicate with their teen without pushing them away, build a strong support network, and navigate the path to professional help when it's needed.
You will learn:
• How to tell the difference between normal teenage behaviour and genuine depression
• What to say — and what never to say — when your teen opens up
• How to support your teen's treatment without taking over
• What to do in a crisis, including verified South African emergency and helpline numbers
• How to take care of yourself while caring for your child
This book is grounded in medical evidence but written in plain language, for real parents. Whether you are just beginning to worry or already in the thick of it, this guide will help you take the next step — calmly, clearly, and with confidence.
You don't have to figure this out alone. And your teen doesn't have to suffer in silence.