Dr. Weissberg-Benchell offered the following recommendations to parents who feel that their diabetic child may be battling depression:
• Seek help. If you feel your child would benefit from speaking to, or working with, a counselor, a place to start looking for referrals would be with your diabetes management team, specifically your endocrinologist or CDE (certified diabetes educator). Pediatricians also know which mental health practitioners in the community work well with children and teenagers. Your local ADA (American Diabetes Association) may also be able to help with referrals.
• Get your child out to exercise and socializing with friends. The more active someone is, the less likely they are to suffer from depression. "It is very important that you do not allow the child to withdraw," says Dr. Weissberg-Benchell.
What Works & Where To Find Help
"Cognitive behavioral therapy, at times in conjunction with medication," says Dr. Weissberg-Benchell, "are often successful in treating diabetic teens with depression."
A good place to start with finding a mental health therapist that specializes in diabetes and also adolescents, as was mentioned above, is to start with your diabetes management team.
Unfortunately, as with pediatric endocrinologists, there aren't enough mental health practitioners to serve needs of kids with diabetes. To further exacerbate the issue, many of those that do specialize in this area tend to be concentrated in specific geographic areas.
