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Aha! adolescent mental health resource list april 2013
1. Start The Conversation
Information Resources About Adolescent Mental Health
The National Alliance on Mental Illness - http://www.nami.org/
Founded in 1979, NAMI is now one of the largest grassroots, mental health advocacy organizations.
Their website includes a wealth of factual information about mental illness, treatment, advocacy
efforts, and support sources.
The Strength of Us - http://strengthofus.org/
NAMI’s online community created by and for young adults. The Strength of Us was created to
provide young adults affected by mental health issues with support and resources. It includes blogs,
discussion groups, and resource lists.
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry -
http://www.aacap.org/cs/root/families_and_youth
The AACAP is the leading national association for professionals devoted to treating and supporting
children, adolescents, and families affected by mental, behavioral, or developmental disorders. They
have an amazing number of resources on their website, including these sections specifically aimed at
families and youth. Especially note the great information in the Youth section about advocacy and
organizations that work to advocate for youth with mental health issues.
Let’s Erase The Stigma (LETS) - http://www.lets.org/
This educational foundation and charitable organization works to raise awareness and educating
children, youth, and adults about mental illness. The organization works to fund the creation of
LETS groups at elementary, secondary, and post-secondary schools and to support various national
initiatives to end the continuing stigma of mental illness and promote an open dialogue.
The Trevor Project - http://www.thetrevorproject.org/
Founded in 1998, The Trevor Project is now the leading national crisis intervention and suicide
prevention organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, and queer youth. Their
website includes a variety of resources and their Trevor Lifeline, staffed by trained counselors, is
available 24/7. Trevor Lifeline: 1-866-488-7386
Minding Your Mind Foundation - http://www.mindingyourmind.org/
This educational foundation also focuses on raising awareness about mental illness. Minding Your
Mind runs a variety of outreach programs aimed at children, youth, and families. They run a large
scale Speaker Program in the Philadelphia area where young adults who have struggled with mental
health issues visit schools or youth organizations to present and talk with teenagers.
2. *Title is available through NCS Library
Giving voice to the voiceless
A Selection of Fiction About Adolescent Mental Health
It’s Kind Of A Funny Story- Ned Vizzini (Depression)*
While Craig was thrilled when his grueling hard work and intense focus paid off with his
acceptance to a prestigious Manhattan high school, he soon finds the pressure overwhelming.
Finally, Craig calls a suicide prevention hotline and then checks himself into a psychiatric
hospital where he finds help and hope.
Wintergirls- Laurie Halse Anderson (Eating Disorders)*
Hospital stays, therapy, and familial pleadings & threats—nothing has been able to derail Lia
from her absolute determination to become thin. When she learns that her estranged best friend
Cassie has died—finally succumbing to her own eating disorder—Lia fall even deeper, pushing
her control over her body to a breaking point.
Breathless-Jessica Warman (Schizophrenia)*
Sent off to boarding school when her beloved schizophrenic older brother Will becomes
increasingly erratic, Katie finds comfort in the swimming team—and the creation of a new life.
She tells her new friends that her brother is dead and the lie becomes the first in a series of
secrets Katie uses to keep her head above water.
The Butterfly Clues-Kate Ellison (OCD)*
While she’s always had intense compulsive urges, Penelope “Lo” Marin’s need to repeat numbers
& words and to steal, hide, and organize objects has taken over life since her brother’s death.
Then, on her way back from stealing an angel statue, Lo overhears a murder and becomes
obsessed with solving the crime.
Chopsticks-Jessica Anthony & Rodrigo Corral *
Glory Fleming, a famous teenage piano prodigy, is missing. Told in flashback, the events
leading up to Glory’s disappearance are slowly revealed through photographs, letters, IM
conversations, and other memorabilia.
Speak-Laurie Halse Anderson (Depression)*
High school is an unforgiving hierarchy and it’s incredibly easy to end up at the bottom; just one
mistake and you’re an outcast. The police broke up a big summer party and everyone knows that
new freshman Melinda Sordino made the call. Only Melinda knows why she called 911—and,
unable to articulate what happened, she’s pretty much stopped speaking altogether.
3. *Title is available through NCS Library
Compulsion- Heidi Ayarbe (OCD)*
To his friends, seventeen-year-old Jake Martin is the star of his high school soccer team; to his
family on the verge of collapse, he’s a shining beacon of hope. But only Jake knows about the
tiny but precious daily rituals he depends on and the endless cycles of prime numbers rattling
through his head.
I Will Save You-Matt De La Pena (Schizophrenia)*
Sick of dealing with all the rules of a group home, seventeen year old Kidd Ellison runs away
and starts a new life working for a middle-aged ex-surfer Mr. Red at his seaside campground.
However, as Kidd makes new friends (including the beautiful Olivia) and begins to feel as
though he’s found his chance at normalcy, his unhappy past returns with a vengeance.
Miracle-Elizabeth Scott (PTSD)
One day, she’s just Megan, an ordinary teenager flying home from soccer camp. But, in a split
second, everything changed and now Megan has become ‘Miracle’—the only survivor of horrific
plane crash. But her family, teachers, friends, and the media can’t seem to understand that while
Megan physically escaped without a scratch, her mind remains haunted in the crash.
Hold Still- Nina LaCour (Depression)*
Absolutely shattered by grief and guilt following her best friend Ingrid’s suicide, Caitlin dreads
starting a new school year. She feels responsible yet mystified by her friend’s death and searches
for answers in the journal Ingrid left behind. As she begins to unravel her friend’s painful
secrets, Caitlin stumbles toward healing and understanding.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time – Mark Haddon (Autism Spectrum Disorder)*
Fifteen year old Christopher Boone is mathematic genius who relaxes by groaning and running
through equations in his head; he counts differently colored cars, screams when touched, and
only eats red foods. Other people sometimes find Christopher strange—and he generally returns
the sentiment. But when his neighbor’s poodle is killed, Christopher is determined to copy his
hero Sherlock Holmes and solve the mystery.
Here are some more books dealing with adolescent mental health:
The Perks of Being A Wallflower-Stephen Chbosky (Depression)*
The Bell Jar-Sylvia Plath (Depression)*
Impulse-Ellen Hopkins (Depression)
Revolution-Jennifer Donnelly (Depression)*
Thirteen Reasons Why- Jay Asher (Depression)*
4. *Title is available through NCS Library
Fat Kid Rules The World – K.L. Going (Depression)
Cracked-K.M. Walton (Depression)
Empty-K.M. Walton (Depression)
Crazy-Amy Reed *
Suicide Notes- Michael Thomas Ford
Sorta Like A Rockstar- Matthew Quick
Boy21- Matthew Quick
17 & Gone - Nova Ren Suma
Skinny- Ibi Kaslik (Eating Disorders)*
Please Ignore Vera Dietz- A.S. King (Alcoholism)*
Recovery Road- Blake Nelson (Alcoholism)
Perfect Escape-Jennifer Brown (OCD)
Waiting-Carol Lynch Williams (Bipolar-Manic Depression)*
Willow-Julia Hoban (Self-Mutilation)
Cut- Patricia McCormick (Self-Mutilation)
Waiting For You- Susan Colasanti (Anxiety Disorder)
Identical-Ellen Hopkins (Multiple Personality Disorder)
Things A Brother Knows- Dana Reinhardt (PTSD)
Jerk, California-Jonathan Friesen (Tourette’s)
House Rules – Jodi Picoult (Autism Spectrum Disorders)*
Marcelo in the Real World – Francisco Stork (Autism Spectrum Disorders)*
Mindblind- Jennifer Roy (Autism Spectrum Disorders)*
Titles & resources selected and annotated by K. Dickinson based on a variety of professional reviews, April 2013
