Teaching Kids to be More Resilient

CHICOPEE, Mass (WWLP) - In 2002 the American College Health Survey reported that 54.6% of students reported feeling hopeless in the past year, 37.6% reported feeling so depressed, three or more times during the past year that they could not function and 9.5% reported seriously considering suicide in the previous year and 1.4% reported attempting suicide. Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death in the 18-24 year old age group.

Dr. Debra Edelman is a Psychologist at Amherst College...and she says we should be teaching our adolescents how to be more resilient in challenging times:

"It seems like the youth today are lacking the ability to tolerate painful affect. I find myself normalizing painful affect often in working with college students. I think that this is one reason we are seeing an increase in substance abuse and self injury behaviors such as cutting and suicides. The internet (including Facebook) and cell phones (including text messaging) has had a powerful impact on our society in a positive way...but I believe there has been a significant down side to this technology. For one thing, people growing up with this technology are used to immediate gratification and are spending less time actually conversing with someone face to face. Resiliency is about “bouncing back” or developing an emotional muscle to deal with life’s challenges, losses and disappointments. It is something that can be learned and then fostered."

Debra Edelman received her Ph.D. in counseling psychology from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. After her clinical internship at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Leeds, MA, she completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Franklin Medical Center in Greenfield, MA. She has a private practice in Amherst, MA.