Suicide is one of the leading causes of death among young people but the warning signs of depression or bipolar disorder are often missed or felt to be “normal” teenage behavior by parents, school officials and physicians. Even in the absence of suicide, quality of life is significantly affected unnecessarily by untreated mental illness.

Cynthia M. Bowers, MD, is Board Certified in Internal Medicine. She has twenty years of experience in adolescent / young adult medicine, much of it as Director of Student Health at UCSB. She has special interest...

In the past few years, recommendations for screening and preventive health measures for women have changed dramatically. In addition, the medical community is increasingly realizing that the presenting symptoms of many illnesses can be different in women.