Family Support Action Plan - What a Parent Can Do to Help Their Child/Adolescent
Family Support is a vital component in your child/adolescent's recovery
from depression. It makes you a more engaged participant in your child's
health care and helps rebuild your child/adolescent's confidence and sense
of accomplishment. However, it can also be extremely difficult - after all,
when your child/adolescent is depressed, s/he probably doesn't feel like
accomplishing anything at all!
To help with Family Support, set goals to help you focus on your
child/adolescent's recovery and recognize your child/adolescent's progress.
Find things that have helped your child/adolescent in the past -identify
goals that are simple and realistic and match your child/adolescent's
natural "style" and personality. Work on only one goal at a time.
Adherence to Treatment Plan. Following through on health advice can
be difficult when your child/adolescent is down. Your child/adolescent's
success will depend on the severity of his/her symptoms, the presence of
other health conditions, and your child/adolescent's comfort level in
accepting your support. However, your child/adolescent's chances for recovery
are excellent if you understand how you and your family naturally prefer to
deal with your child/adolescent's health problems. Knowing what barriers are
present will help you develop realistic health goals for your child/adolescent.
Example goals: Remember to give your child/adolescent his/her medications.
Participate in counseling. Help your child/adolescent keep appointments.>
MY GOAL: ____________________________________________________________
Relationships. It may be tempting for your child/adolescent
to avoid contact with people when s/he is depressed, or to "shut out" concerned
family and friends. Yet, fulfilling relationships will be a significant part of
your child/adolescent's recovery and long-term mental health. Understanding your
child/adolescent's natural relational style for asking for and accepting help
should guide the design of your Family Support plan. Example goals: Encourage
your child/adolescent to talk with a friend every day. Attend scheduled
social functions. Schedule times to talk and "just be" with your child/adolescent.
MY GOAL: ____________________________________________________________
Nutrition and Exercise. Often, people who are depressed don't
eat a balanced diet or get enough physical exercise -which can make them feel worse.
Help your child/adolescent set goals to ensure good nutrition and regular exercise.
Example goals: Encourage your child/adolescent to drink plenty of water. Eat fruits and
vegetables. Avoid alcohol. Take a walk once a day. Go for a bike ride.
MY GOAL: ____________________________________________________________
Spirituality and Pleasurable Activities. If spirituality has been
an important part of your child/adolescent's life in the past, you should help to
include it in your child/adolescent's current routine as well. Also, even
though s/he may not feel as motivated, or get the same amount of pleasure as
s/he used to, help him/her commit to a fun activity each day. Example goals:
Recall a happy event. Do a hobby. Listen to music. Attend community or cultural
events. Meditate. Worship. Do fun family activities. Take your child/adolescent
to a fun place s/he wants to go.
MY GOAL: ____________________________________________________________
Adapted with permission from Intermountain Healthcare. From Guidelines for Adolescent
Depression in Primary Care
(GLAD-PC) ToolKit (Zucherbrot, Ed) ,
http://www.kidsmentalhealth.org/GLAD-PC.html
