Although the stressors may be different, children and adolescents experience the same emotions as adults. According to the National Institute on Mental Health, 14.8 million adults are affected by depression each year. A study by Harvard University revealed that 23 percent of children suffer from depression and trends show that preschool age children are a growing market for antidepressants. Sadness is a normal emotion and having a bad day is not uncommon. How do you know when it's more than that?
Step 1
Observe your child's behavior and demeanor. Changes in behavior do not automatically signal depression. Pay attention to when and where these changes occur. If they are specific to a certain environment or time of day, there may be a specific issue (e.g. only in the morning before school or only occurring at school could mean that your child is being bullied or teased there). Changes in behavior as a result of depression are consistent across all environments, over a variety of times.
Step 2
Look out for behaviors that are different than what you are used to: changes in appetite or personal hygiene, loss of interest in pleasurable activities, withdrawing from family or friends, being defiant or defensive, appearing sad or upset, and weight gain or weight loss.
Step 3
Talk to your child about what is going on and whether or not something is bothering him at school, at home or if he is not feeling well. Let him know that it is okay to not feel good all the time and by helping you to understand how he feels, you can help him to feel better.
Step 4
Talk to your child's doctor about any changes you've noticed and what the potential cause may be. It's not a bad idea to make an appointment to rule out any physical illness your child may be experiencing.
Step 5
Communicate with your child throughout the day (in the morning before school, after school and before bed at night). It may be easier to communicate with an adolescent who has a cell phone or access to email. Your communication with a younger child may be limited to in the home. It may feel like nagging but it is important that you are persistent yet kind. A child may hold her emotions in because she doesn't want to bother you or be viewed as having a problem.
Step 6
Create an environment of support. Tell your child that you love and support him. Be willing to talk through anything, anytime as much as possible. If the child is comfortable and has a good rapport with his teacher or guidance counselor, ask one of them to talk to him.
Step 7
Seek a professional counselor or therapist. Depression can be caused by physiological factors such as imbalances in hormones or neurological chemicals that may require medication to correct.
