What Do You Know About Childhood Depression?
Depression in Children & Adolescents In America today, the word
depression is familiar to most people because of the frequency
with which it is seen and experienced among adults; however, in
recent it has been widely recognized and accepted that children
as well may experience this mood disturbance. It appears that
although childhood and adult depression are obviously similar,
they are not identical; childhood depression has an entity all
its own.
Mood disturbances are normal for children, but when normal
patterns of eating, sleeping, working or playing are disrupted
by the intensity of mood, it is essential to try to discover and
treat the source of the problem. If left unattended, it may
become a seed bed for future depressive episodes of even greater
intensity.
Depression may strike a young person of any age--infant to
adolescent--affecting the physical, intellectual, emotional,
social and spiritual areas of his life; however, with proper,
loving care the problem is usually reversed and restoration to
normal childhood behavior occurs with a short period of time.
Do You Know . . . Symptoms of Childhood Depression While there
is no universally accepted diagnostic standard for depression in
children, several basic symptoms are accepted as identifiable
with the problem: - Sad or unhappy appearance - Antisocial
behavior - Desires to spend time alone in his room - Lack of
interest/ pleasure in normal activities - Lack of energy -
Frequent physical complaints - Feelings of being unloved or
rejected - Refusal to accept love or comfort - Low self-esteem -
Hyperactivity - Aggressive behavior - Sleep or appetite
disturbances - Separation anxiety - Severe anxiety -
Preoccupation with morbid ideas - Intense negativity - Problems
in school - Truancy (in teens) - Self-destructive behavior -
Forgetfulness - Difficulty in concentrating - Irritability seems
to be the most dominant symptom in children ages five through
twelve.
Interestingly, the developmental level of the child seems to
have the greatest effect on the way clinical depression
manifests itself. Most of these symptoms may be seen in most
children at one time or another. When isolated and brief in
duration, the symptoms do not signal a serious problem but when
a cluster of them exists over a period of four or more weeks,
the presence of depression is indicated.
Causes of Depression in Youth This problem may result from
several causes. The primary sources are believed to be feelings
of being unloved or unwanted, and feelings of loss or of
rejection. These may be due to a divorce, separation, death of a
loved one or pet, or moving to a new location. Often the child
is misperceiving what is happening in his environment. Other
common causes include: inability to measure up to parental
expectations; grief; emotional, physical or sexual abuse;
adjustment disorders; physical or spiritual problems.
Treatment Treatment usually includes working with the parents,
and often teachers, as well as the child or adolescent, in an
attempt to alter or correct conditions in the home, in the
classroom, or the social environment. This will usually
alleviate the depression. If not, it is necessary to work with
the family physician to investigate the possibility of an
underlying biological cause, such as allergies, a chemical
imbalance, a thyroid condition or the onset of puberty.