School Administrator Presents Info

On Adolescent Depression At Conference

By Susan Coney

Newtown educator Tony Salvatore, along with his wife, Nancy, were co-presenters at the 32nd annual National Middle School Association Conference in Philadelphia. This yearly conference attracts approximately 8,000 participants ranging from administrators, counselors, and parents, to a diverse group of educators. Colleagues from throughout the world convene to focus on the educational and developmental needs of middle school adolescents.

As part of the conference, participants were invited to attend hundreds of sessions relevant to middle school practices, adolescent development, and professional development. Educators spent time in the exhibition hall learning about the most up-to-date, quality products and services related to middle grade education. In addition there were many opportunities for educators to network with other professionals.

The Salvatores, both longtime educators, have felt that the issue of adolescent depression is just now beginning to be recognized and taken seriously. Mr Salvatore is the assistant principal at Reed Intermediate School and his wife is an eight-grade science teacher in West Hartford. At one point in their careers the couple, who have been married for 28 years, team taught at the middle school level; now they are collaborating together again to educate others about the dangers of adolescent depression.

The purpose of the workshop presented by the Salvatores was to provide educators and parents with the signs and symptoms of adolescent depression as a critical first step in not only meeting the individual needs of these students, but also to save their lives. Mr Salvatore emphasized that experts are beginning to recognize an increase in depression in teens that do not fit the typical mold. “These kids are very intelligent, high performing, high achieving kids. They mask the symptoms of their depression. Many of these teens are very social and do not fit the stereotype of the dark, sad, depressed types,” Mr Salvatore revealed.

He said that he has been studying those types of adolescents in particular. “I’m looking at kids who have not had a significant trauma in their background. Those that don’t fit the typical mold. Everyone gets depressed sometimes but not everyone suffers from depression,” he said. Mr Salvatore stated that he wants to learn why these types of kids are suffering with depression. “The cruel irony is that the most at-risk adolescents for depression are those you would least expect in your classroom or in your family,” he added. It is important to note that depression is a condition that usually emerges in the teen years and can persist for the remainder of a person’s life.

Mr Salvatore stated that there are many causes of depression and that the public in general is beginning to accept depression as a real illness. He said that the word depression still carries a stigma. Mr Salvatore referred to statistics provided by Columbia University stating that suicide is the third leading cause of death for 15- to 19-year-old Americans. He noted that parents often blame themselves when in reality depression is an illness. “We don’t blame ourselves when our children are ill with diabetes or asthma, we shouldn’t blame ourselves if our children suffer with depression,” he stressed. “The important thing is to get the child the help that they need. The warning signs for depression are easy to miss. The frustration is not knowing how to help your child,” he confided.

The Salvatores were pleasantly surprised by the turnout of participants attending the workshop. He stated that many attendees lingered after the workshop to speak one-on-one with he and his wife. “We spent at least an additional hour after the workshop listening to personal stories shared by those who attended the workshop. Some of the comments shared with us were Kleenex worthy. We really felt we had made a connection,” he commented. The Salvatores have been corresponding with some of the participants of the workshop helping to clarify and provide additional information.

In addition to presenting in Philadelphia, Mr Salvatore has presented his workshop in various school settings. During the workshop he informs educators of signals to watch for and what steps to take when a student exhibits signs of depression.

For more information on depression visit the National Institute of Mental Health at www.nimh.nih.gov or the American Psychological Association at www.apa.org.