The first step in helping your child who suffers from depression is to recognize that she's depressed. Some parents ignore the signs and symptoms of depression, because it's hard to realize that your child suffers from depression. Depressed children have trouble sleeping, eating, and concentrating, feel sad most of the time, throw temper tantrums and suffer from unexplained physical issues such as headaches and stomach aches.
Get Professional Help
If an adult is depressed, he's able to get professional treatment on his own, but children depend on their parents to get them the help that they need. If your child suffers from depression, you should seek the help of a licensed mental health professional who specializes in working with children. The two most common forms of professional treatment available include medication and psychotherapy. Each child is different and your child's treatment plan will depend on her level of depression and other mental health issues.
If your child's doctor or psychiatrist prescribes medication, you need to make sure that he takes it on a regular basis. If he experiences negative side effects from the medication, call the person who prescribed the medication for assistance.
Encourage Healthy Habits
When a child's depressed, her brain chemistry changes, making it hard for her to be motivated to eat healthy food, stay active and get regular sleep. As the parent, it's your job to encourage her to do these things. Fix her healthy meals. Get her involved in things that will keep her active, such as soccer or basketball. If your child doesn't want to participate in sports, take family outings to the park and play together in order to get active.
Pay Attention
The National Mental Health Information Center reports that while your child is dealing with depression, you should make notes, especially about behaviors that concern you, so you can talk to your child's therapist about them. When jotting down this information, try to include how long the behaviors have been happening and how often they occur. If you see any signs of suicidal ideation, such as a preoccupation with death, hopelessness, saying goodbye or giving away prized possessions, contact your child's therapist without delay and take him to your local psychiatric emergency room for immediate assistance.
Learn About Depression
Ask your child's mental health professional or doctor for relevant books or websites about depression, and take the time to learn about how this disorder affects children. This will help you when you become frustrated with your child. You child can't just snap out of it like you probably hope she could, and she's not being lazy, according to Kids Health. It's important to realize and accept this.
