There are several different types of depression that children can experience, including major depressive disorder, dysthymia, adjustment disorder with depressed mood, seasonal affective disorder and bipolar disorder, reports Kids Health from Nemours. As any parent of a teen can tell you, all teens go through moods, but when your child's depressive state lingers for weeks or months on end, you should take him to a clinician for a diagnosis.
Feeling Hopeless
Children who experience depression will report a constant feeling that everything is hopeless. Your child might express to you her negative feelings about the world and her inability to make positive changes in her life. You may notice that she's sad, but she can't tell you a reason why. She may also suffer from low self-esteem. Most likely, though, her depression will manifest through irritibility and anger, rather than sadness, notes Helpguide.org.
Lack of Energy
Your child's energy levels will noticeably drop, to the point where even the simplest task seems daunting. He may complain more frequently of aches and pains or headaches, even though a physical exam reveals that he is healthy. He'll stop doing physical activities he used to enjoy and will have trouble engaging in activities that require high levels of energy or engagement.
Reduced Socialization
As your child manifests symptoms, she will likely begin to hang out less with her friends and even family members, suggests Kids Health from Nemours. She will begin to push away from the people she used to enjoy and spend more time alone or with a different crowd of people. Your child may begin developing unwarranted excuses as to why she no longer wants to hang out with certain people, such as they had a fight last time or they no longer like each other.
Change in Appetite
Changes in appetite can be a symptom of depression. Your child could begin to consume more food because he is eating more in an unsuccessful attempt to deal with his depression, or he may begin to eat less. He may begin to push food away or say he is not hungry. You may notice a marked change in weight.
Changes in Sleep
Just as with appetite, there may be changes in your child's sleep patterns. Children experiencing depression may show changes in their sleep patterns. Your child may begin sleeping all the time and still seem to be continuously tired, or she could have trouble sleeping and experience bouts of insomnia.
Inability to Concentrate
A depression symptom that can confuse people and influence the potential for misdiagnosis is the inability of the child to concentrate. Your child may no longer be able to maintain his focus in school and on homework. Often, parents and clinicians can misdiagnose this as attention deficit disorder. But if this symptom coincides with other symptoms of depression, you need to make your health care practitioner aware of all his symptoms.
Lack of Pleasure
Depression can cause children to be unable to find pleasure in activities they previously enjoyed. Your child may have truly loved and enjoyed playing baseball or swimming, but now she shows no interest in either those activities or any others. Furthermore, if you question her, she can become oversensitive and overreact to your inquiries.
Frequent Thoughts of Death or Suicide
Your child may begin talking about what it would be like to die or what he thinks will happen after he dies. Also, he may make comments about where he wants to die, or he may even express to you how he is going to kill himself. If your child expresses any type of suicidal thoughts or behaviors, take him seriously, and seek help from a mental health professional immediately, reports Help Guide. You can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK.
