Some people are fortunate to have a large, extended family. However, with extra family members comes the dilemma of who needs to know about your child's depression and how much information should be shared.

Who Needs to Know?

The best way to answer this question is by actually asking yourself why someone needs to know about your child's depression at all. While that might sound impolite, think about your child and how the news of his depression will be heard. If Grandma is especially nosy and has a tendency to enjoy gossip, she might unconsciously share this information with people you or your child would rather not have know.

Unfortunately, even though they are our relatives, some people enjoy others' misery, and they will tell anyone who is in earshot the latest news. Other family members may consider themselves to be experts on just about everything and will feel compelled to tell you how to handle your child's depression. Still others are uneducated about mental illness and may interact with your child very differently if they know about his depression.

Tell only the family members who are capable of respecting your child's confidentiality and who have regular contact with your child. They may be invaluable in helping you with your child.

How Much Information Should Be Provided?

There's a fine line between sharing enough information and too much. Again, use your best judgment. If Grandma babysits for your child each day, she definitely needs to know about your child's medication, for example. But she doesn't necessarily need to know what he is talking to his therapist about in counseling. If your child wants to discuss some aspect of his treatment, while it might make you uncomfortable, let him talk. Children will usually be pretty discreet about what they share in terms of their depression.