Is my teenage daughter depressed?

* My 13-year-old daughter seems very down, but I don’t know whether it’s just normal teenage angst, or actual depression.

If she is depressed, what help is out there for her?

>>Depression is a serious illness and I would advise you to make an appointment for your daughter with her GP, who can rule out a serious depression.

Depressive feelings are common in adolescence, with up to half of 14 and 15 year olds feeling unhappy and miserable. These feelings increase markedly after puberty, mainly in females.

This is due to hormonal changes, changes in social support and a growing maturity, all which lead to more life stresses.

Sometimes teenagers will talk to outside parties sooner than their own parents. Given your daughter’s young age she may not know how best to cope with either mental health problems or the physical changes that her body is undergoing associated with puberty.

Try and to talk to her. Listen to her and let her talk about her feelings.

While waiting for the appointment with her GP here are some general suggestions to consider:

* Reassurance and correction of any environmental stress where possible.

* Make sure she has a good breakfast every morning before school and that she has a balanced diet; cut out sugary snacks and fizzy drinks.

* Encourage her to set aside some time to do something she enjoys and to build in some time for physical exercise.

* Ask her to join the rest of the family at some point each evening, so that she does not spend the entire time in her room.

* Ensure she is getting a good night’s sleep as depression can cause bodily fatigue.

* It may be helpful to check with her teacher to make sure there are no issues at school and that she is keeping up.

As adults responsible for the young in their care, it’s always important to be alert for more serious issues such as depression or bullying. You are right to worry and no doubt your GP will offer further input and advice. If you become concerned about any changes in your daughter then seek urgent medical help.

- We got a letter home from the school recently saying there was an outbreak of head lice. What can I do to minimise the risk of my children picking it up?

>>Head lice are very common and with treatment they will usually clear. Although most common in children, they can affect people of all ages. There may be no symptoms, as an itchy scalp does not always occur.

The adult lice live for approximately 30 days. As the head lice die once they are away from hair, they cannot live in clothes or bedding for more than a few days. It is not always possible to see the head lice and given that your children will come into contact with other children in school, I suggest you check their hair regularly by doing what is know as detection combing, which is easiest after you have washed the hair.

* Wash and condition the hair using regular shampoo and conditioner. Leave in the conditioner.

* Comb the hair with a regular hair comb.

* Using a detection comb – available from your pharmacist. Start at the roots of the hair so that comb is touching the scalp.

* Draw the comb through from root to tip making your way around the head.

* If you find any lice on the comb either clean it with a tissue or rinse under the tap before checking the next strand of hair.

* When the check is completed, rinse out the conditioner.

There are also a few ways that you can minimise the risk of your child catching lice:

* Tie long hair up.

* Get your children to wear a hat to keep their head sheltered from lice, other than when in school.

It is difficult to prevent anyone getting head lice but if you do detection combing you will at least find the lice at an early stage. If you do find lice, check the hair of everyone in the family. Your GP can advise on an appropriate treatment. Recommended medicine should only be used to treat the lice and not as a preventative measure.