Feeling down, sad or "blue" are common emotions for kids and
adults alike. According to the National Institute of Mental Health
(NIMH), these emotions typically pass after a few days. A depressive
disorder, on the other hand, has some very specific signs, including
prolonged feelings of sadness, sleeplessness and irritability.
When these symptoms persist for two weeks or more and disrupt a child's daily functioning, experts suggest getting help from a pediatrician or school counselor and putting a treatment plan into place.
How to tell when a child is depressed? Look for these 5 depression symptoms:
Unfortunately, kids are at higher risk of falling through the cracks when it comes to getting help. For one thing, children often feel deeply ashamed about admitting their feelings of depression to a grown up. They may fear that the adult won't take them seriously. They also worry being isolated by their friends or bullying by peers who find out about their problem.
Even for kids who don't hide their depression symptoms, the condition is still easy for parents or teachers to overlook. Parents often see their kids in the morning before school and at night, before bed - times when it's perfectly normal for a child to be sleepy. Kids are also accustomed to juggling multiple activities and packed schedules. They listen to music while playing video games, or do homework while the television runs in the background.
Teachers are taking on increasingly more students and larger classrooms. For that reason, it could take weeks before an instructor notices that a once very responsive child has suddenly become withdrawn and inattentive.
Finally, puberty complicates matters even more for kids. Surging hormones make kids more moody. Fatigue, aggression and irritability are common signs of puberty and depression.
Important Facts
Parents should know that depression is not uncommon. The NIMH reports that kids between the ages of 13 to 18 are affected by depressive disorders. Fortunately, younger kids are affected to a much lesser extent. An estimated 1% of pre-school children;and 2% of prepubescent kids are diagnosed with major depressive disorder at any given time. A more mild form of depression, called dysthymia, affects about 2% of kids. Within a five-year period however, it is estimated that two-thirds will experience major depression.
When these symptoms persist for two weeks or more and disrupt a child's daily functioning, experts suggest getting help from a pediatrician or school counselor and putting a treatment plan into place.
How to tell when a child is depressed? Look for these 5 depression symptoms:
- Negativity: Negativity and an overall gloomy mood are characterized by feeling discouraged, sad or defeated. Kids who are negative tend to have lower self-esteem and lack confidence. They often feel hopeless, lonely, guilty and unworthy of love or friendships.
- Lack of energy and motivation: Fatigue is a classic depression symptom. A child who is depressed might suddenly feel exhausted and physically drained.
- Concentration problems: Loss of concentration is one of the most glaring signs of depression in kids. It's an easy symptom to miss because parents won't notice if a child's ability to concentrate changes while he or she is in school. A depressed kid, however, will also be distracted during conversations with family members, she'll have problems reading and engaging in activities that had always held her interest in the past.
- Physical symptoms: Depression often manifests itself in physical ways. It can cause stomachaches and headaches. Kids who are depressed can lose their appetite or complain of general, unspecified achiness that can be accompanied by a desire to sleep more often.
- Withdrawal: Like adults, children who are depressed tend to withdraw from their friends and loved ones. This behavior, however, can worsen the child's depression since it can make him feel lonelier and more isolated.
Unfortunately, kids are at higher risk of falling through the cracks when it comes to getting help. For one thing, children often feel deeply ashamed about admitting their feelings of depression to a grown up. They may fear that the adult won't take them seriously. They also worry being isolated by their friends or bullying by peers who find out about their problem.
Even for kids who don't hide their depression symptoms, the condition is still easy for parents or teachers to overlook. Parents often see their kids in the morning before school and at night, before bed - times when it's perfectly normal for a child to be sleepy. Kids are also accustomed to juggling multiple activities and packed schedules. They listen to music while playing video games, or do homework while the television runs in the background.
Teachers are taking on increasingly more students and larger classrooms. For that reason, it could take weeks before an instructor notices that a once very responsive child has suddenly become withdrawn and inattentive.
Finally, puberty complicates matters even more for kids. Surging hormones make kids more moody. Fatigue, aggression and irritability are common signs of puberty and depression.
Important Facts
Parents should know that depression is not uncommon. The NIMH reports that kids between the ages of 13 to 18 are affected by depressive disorders. Fortunately, younger kids are affected to a much lesser extent. An estimated 1% of pre-school children;and 2% of prepubescent kids are diagnosed with major depressive disorder at any given time. A more mild form of depression, called dysthymia, affects about 2% of kids. Within a five-year period however, it is estimated that two-thirds will experience major depression.
No comments:
Post a Comment