Stand By Me: Helping your teen through tough times

by John Kirwan, Elliot Bell, Kirsty Louden-Bell

I'm a dad and I'm scared.

When I say I'm a dad and I'm scared, I really mean: I'm a dad and I'm looking for answers – from the professionals, kids, mums, dads and other caregivers who have been there, holding each other's hands to hell and back.

Stand by me. Let's take the journey together.

Charting John Kirwan's personal experiences as a father, and featuring the real voices of young people today, Stand By Me investigates issues around teenage mental health, with a focus on depression and anxiety.

With clinical psychologists Dr Elliot Bell and Kirsty Louden-Bell, JK confronts the big questions facing parents and teens, highlighting key messages and offering best approaches. Stand By Me also draws on the perspectives of teenagers who have been diagnosed with mental health issues and the families who have journeyed with them. In their own words, the young people reflect on their darkest days and recovery, and consider how these experiences have shaped them as they face forward into their adult lives.

Intimate, enlightening and impossible to ignore, Stand By Me is a window into an all-too-real issue facing New Zealand families, and a powerful tool for anyone concerned about the wellbeing of young people in their care.

Also available as an eBook

Genres: Nonfiction, Mental Health

320 pages, Paperback

First published September 24, 2014

About the author

Sir John James Patrick Kirwan KNZM MBE is a New Zealand rugby union coach and former player of both rugby union and rugby league.

He scored 35 tries in 63 tests for New Zealand, making him one of the highest try scorers in international rugby union history, and was part of the New Zealand team that won the first Rugby World Cup in 1987. He also played rugby league for the Auckland Warriors in their first two seasons. He is the former head coach of the Blues in Super Rugby, and the Japan and Italy national teams.

In recent years, he has spoken openly about his battles with depression and been honoured for his services to mental health.

from Wikipedia

Reviews

[Carole · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this is a very useful guide to dealing with a depressed teen, it does get a bit repetitive. I'd say it was useful rather than an engaging read.

[Gabrielle · Rating 2 out of 5]

This might be the book for you if you have teenagers in your life and / or you're wanting to understand mental illness and things you can do (both in terms of treatment and more general support) to help someone you care about.

But


It's not woke.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really comprehensive...will save it for future reference but really hope I don't need to use it. Recommended for anyone with a teenager, but particularly for parents that have struggled with mental health issues themselves, or for parents of a young person that is struggling with depression, anxiety or other mental health challenges.

[Shona ledgerwood]

Very good book about depression and anxiety in teenagers. Loved his first book and this one is no different. Has different teenagers views on their depression and how they coped recovering from it.

[Overbooked ✎ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well organised book, full with insights and useful information for parents and caregives. The only downside is the resource list which is now (2023) outdated.

4.5 stars