Q: One of the young people who attends our youth group suffers from severe depression, but the other day I heard a colleague tell her to "cheer up" and suggest she had nothing to be depressed about because she was "so young". What should I do?
Tracie Trimmer-Platman: I am alarmed to hear of this kind of attitude from someone who works with young people. Comments like this are simply not appropriate and almost certainly added to this young person's distress.
Engaging with people with depression can sometimes be very challenging. Some individuals are embarrassed by this and not sure how to react. Without the right knowledge, training and advice, they can become irritated and frustrated. It sounds like this is what happened.
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