With youth depression, peers are often 'first responders'

Because young people may hesitate to seek help from adults or counselors when they experience depression, their friends often act as de-facto “first responders” for youth suffering from mental health problems. Some school programs in California seek to educate students and lay people about mental health, where in the past the subject has been left to specialists. “I remember being really worried that I was going to miss his call, [and] a chance to save his life. It was a lot of responsibility.”  An in-depth story about the changing landscape of teen mental health was produced by New America Media for Youth Radio.