Children suffer from depression just as painfully as adults.The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry estimated that 5 percent of all American children are currently enduring depressions in a May 2008 essay, "The Depressed Child." The good news is that depressed children, like depressed adults, respond to therapy and medications.
History
The National Institute of Mental Health noted in an article, "Depression and Adolescents," that until the 1980s, children's depressions were ignored because physicians thought that only adults could become depressed.
Ironically, pre-1980s novelists were very aware of depressed children's existence. An example from Victorian literature is a child nicknamed "Little Father Time" in Thomas Hardy's 1895 novel, "Jude the Obscure." He is a depressed boy who kills himself and his siblings, mistakenly believing that this action will help his loving father and stepmother with their poverty.
Causes
The causes of depression in children are similar to those that plague depressed adults, according to the Surgeon General's Report, "Mental Health." Some children from loving homes become depressed because the illness is genetic. They have a parent or other relative who is prone to depression. Children may also become depressed because they are verbally, physically or sexually abused at home or in other settings, lose a parent due to divorce or do poorly in school.
Symptoms
Determining whether a child is depressed is more difficult than diagnosing the condition in an adult. Many children and teens have trouble explaining their feelings.
The National Mental Health Information Center offers a list of symptoms in an essay, "Major Depression in Children and Adolescents." The symptoms include persistent hopelessness and sadness, loss of interest in regular activities, unexplained crying or irritability, substance abuse, changes in sleeping and eating habits, poor schoolwork, running away from home, complaining and talking about suicide.
Sensitive Children
The term "sensitive children" is sometimes used in connection with depressed children, but there is no consensus about what the term means. Sensitivity is not really a good way to diagnose a child's potential for being depressed. Children who appear tough can also develop severe depressions. A better way to determine if a child is depressed is to use Mental Health America's "Children's Depression Checklist." If a child has a high score on the checklist, it is time to contact a therapist.
Treatment
The American Academy of Family Physicians recommended in an article, "What to Do if You Think Your Child Is Depressed," that parents find a therapist immediately for a depressed child. Depressed children, like depressed adults, are at risk for suicide.
Sometimes counseling is sufficient to help a child's depression. Depressed children, like depressed adults, sometimes get stuck in closed loops of negative thinking, and can be guided to think in a more positive and problem-solving manner. Medication may be necessary in instances where a child's depression is severe.
A child's parents may attend family counseling sessions if extreme circumstances--a contentious divorce, bullying in school, or abuse at home or in other settings--are fueling the child's depression.
References
- The American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry: The Depressed Child
- National Institute of Mental Health: Depression in Children and Adolescents
- Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General
- National Mental Health Information Center: Major Depression in Children and Adolescents
- Mental Health America: Fact Sheet: Children's Depression Checklist
