Children who suffer from depression feel sad, hopeless and worthless, have trouble concentrating, have issues eating and sleeping, feel tired regularly and isolate themselves from their peers. The good news, according to Kids Health, is that 80 percent of those who suffer from depression can be successfully treated. It's important to take these symptoms seriously, because untreated depression can result in suicide. Treatment includes medication and psychotherapy.
Learning about Depression
Most therapists start by helping a child understand what depression is, why she might be experiencing depression and how depression is treated. The more information the child has about the disorder, the more empowered she'll feel. It's also important for a child to know he isn't alone, so a mental health professional may suggest that he join a support group with other children struggling with mood disorders. When children learn they have a mental health issue that can be treated successfully, they might have more hope, which also will reduce the symptoms of depression.
Changing Negative Thinking
The most common form of psychotherapy used to treat depression in children is cognitive behavioral therapy. This type of therapy helps a child understand how his thoughts affect his emotions and behaviors. The therapist teaches the child about the affects of her thoughts and how to gain control over them. For example, a child who's depressed might have thoughts such as, "I'm a failure" and "No one likes me." These thoughts lead her to be sad and feel hopeless, which cause her to do poorly in school and never try to make friends. If the child can change her thinking, she can change the way that she feels about herself and how she acts.
Some children who suffer from depression have extremely irrational thoughts, thinking, "I'm stupid" if they get one wrong answer on a test rather than "I almost got a perfect score. I did great." This could be due to a low self-esteem, poor parenting, abuse or other circumstances. The therapist can help such children combat the irrational thinking by pointing out inconsistent statements.
Healthy Coping Skills
Children who are depressed probably don't know how to cope with stress in healthy ways. When a child experiences overwhelming stress and is unable to cope with it, she can become depressed or anxious. A therapist would help her figure out ways to deal with stress. For instance, the therapist might suggest she play a sport, write about stressful events in a journal, draw or paint to release feelings or learn relaxation techniques.
Medication
According to the Mayo Clinic, medication may be used to children who suffer from depression when they experience severe symptoms such as suicidal ideation, don't respond to talk therapy or when the depression occurs regularly. Antidepressants are the first form of medication used to treat depression; however, many antidepressants need more research before scientists know if they're harmful and/or effective in treating children. Some antidepressants can increase suicidal ideation among children, so children taking these drugs should be closely monitored by their doctors.
