Monochrome days : a firsthand account of one teenager's experience with depression

Nearly one in five adolescents experiences the symptoms of major depression before finishing high school.

Where once experts believed that this serious mood disorder did not exist in children at all, now we know that depression often first appears in the adolescent years, and can be a long-lasting, recurring, and even life-threatening problem.

Cait Irwin was diagnosed with major depression at the age of fourteen, and she nearly lost her battle against the illness before her family intervened and she received expert psychiatric care.

Now an adult, Irwin writes of her own experiences and, with the help of science writer Linda Wasmer Andrews, offers practical advice and guidance to adolescents who have recently been diagnosed with depression.

In easy-to-understand language Irwin and Andrews incorporate the psychiatric expertise of Dwight Evans, discussing "what doctors know" about depression in adolescents, and demystifying the often confusing science behind the illness.

The book also covers difficult topics such as psychiatric hospitalisation, anti-depressant medications, and how to deal with a mental illness at school and at home. The result is both a compelling memoir and a practical guide that will help to ease the isolation that depression can bring, teaching young people how to manage and maintain their recovery on a daily basis.

Part of the Adolescent Mental Health Initiative series of books written specifically for teens and young adults, Monochrome Days offers hope to young people who are struggling with depression, helping them to overcome the challenges of this illness and go on to lead productive and healthy lives.