Childhood

depression
Syntoms & treatment
 Misconceptions About Children and Depression

One of the most common responses to hearing that a child

has depression is, “But what does he/she have to be
depressed about?” This statement reveals two major
misconceptions.

 One is the lack of understanding about clinical depression. It is not the

same as the “blues” or “down” moods that everyone has from time to
time, which may actually be caused by unhappiness with one’s job,
home life or other factors.
 The other misconception is that childhood is a carefree, trouble-free
period in our lives. How many people can say that they didn’t worry
about peer acceptance, grades, or parental expectations? Adults often
forget that children are powerless and have no control over their own
lives. This can be a frightening and frustrating state of affairs to live
through day after day
 Symptoms of Depression in Children
 Persistent sadness and/or irritability.
 Low self-esteem or feelings of worthlessness. A
child may make such statements as, “I’m bad.
I’m stupid. No one likes me.”
 Loss of interest in previously enjoyed
activities.
 Change in appetite (either increase or
decrease).
 Change in sleep patterns (either increase or
decrease).
 Difficulty concentrating.
 Anger and rage (WOEDE)
 Headaches, stomachaches or other physical
pains that seem to have no cause.
 Changes in activity level. The child either
becomes more lethargic(sleepy) or more
hyperactive.
 Recurring(terugkerende) thoughts of death or
suicide.
 Any change in a child’s behavior that
seems to have no external or physical
cause should be looked at. A low mood
which results from a loss (death of a loved
one, moving, changing schools) which
lasts more than a few weeks should be
considered possible depression and
checked out.
Bipolar disorder:

(Bipolar disorder is a
condition in which people go back and
forth between periods of a very good or
irritable mood and depression. The "mood
swings" between mania and depression
can be very quick).
Related Disorders
Depression often goes hand-in-hand with
other mental illnesses or disorders such as
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), and,
especially
in teenage girls, eating disorders and self
injury. If any of these conditions are
present, they need to be treated along
with the depression for treatment to be
effective.
 Depression Treatment
The parents of any child who is in immediate
danger of harming himself or others should
consider hospitalization. This is a tough choice
for parents to make, but it must be
emphasized that children do commit suicide.

Once a child has been diagnosed with

depression, both psychotherapy and medication
could be options. Therapy can help the child
deal with his past in a healthy manner, and also in
learning ways to cope with the very difficult process of
growing up.
Most professionals will recommend therapy as
a first line of defense for a child with
depression, except in cases where the child is
severely depressed or suicidal.

 Parents should educate themselves as much as

possible in order to make an informed
decision.

 Parents of a child with depression should start

looking for a child psychiatrist by contacting
the nearest university medical center, mental
health clinic or organization.