A Lethal Inheritance ─ A Mother Uncovers the Science Behind Three Generations of Mental Illness

Writing in accessible terms for general readers as well as professionals in mental health, author Victoria Costello, a science journalist and film writer, weaves family history and science in this narrative of her journey through the medical establishment to find help for her older son's psychotic symptoms, her younger son's depression and anxiety, and her own depression and alcoholism. As she confronts her denial about the severity of her sons' symptoms, she discovers that various forms of mental illness have plagued her family for several generations. She explains current research on early warning signs of mental illness among young people, stressing research that demonstrates that early medication and psychotherapy can help affected young people lead full, independent lives. With advice directed at parents of children and teens at risk, she discusses the problematic link between antidepressants and adolescent suicide and offers guidance on getting the right mental health care, using family history as a guide for treatment choices, and practical ways to safeguard a child's mental health. Annotation c2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Victoria Costello reports on family and children’s mental health for Psychology Today online, Yahoo! News Health & Wellness, Mamapedia, and MentalHealthMomBlog. She is the coauthor with child psychiatrist Jack Westman, MD, MS, of A Complete Idiot’s Guide to Child and Adolescent Psychology, and with family therapist Stephen Martin of The Everything Parent’s Guide to Childhood OCD. As a science journalist, she won an Emmy Award for the Disney Channel special called This Island Earth. With the Mental Health Association of San Francisco, Costello is a speaker, workshop facilitator, and state and federal advocate working to improve the mental health of youth and families.