A Parental Guide To Depression In Children

If you were unsure of depression in children as being a ‘real thing’, then you may want to read this article! In fact, the rate of depression in children has been rising over the last few years. The problem with depression in children is that it goes undiagnosed most of the time due to the lack of knowledge. ‘So what is childhood depression’, you may ask. It is persistent sadness or sadness that may affect and interrupt a child’s daily activities which may include schoolwork or family life for instance. The symptoms of depression usually vary from child to child and may not be easy to recognise without seeking professional help, for this reason, it is often undiagnosed and consequently untreated being mostly passed off as ‘normal emotional & psychological growth changes’. In the younger population, this may be masked as anger outbursts or angry behaviour, whilst it may appear as low moods in older children, much similar to depressed adults. In general, the symptoms of a depressed child should revolve around a feeling of sadness, hopelessness with mood swings.

Some of the questions every parent of a depressed child should have at the back of his/her mind, in order to help rule out depression include the following:
Is my child constantly irritable or angry? 
Does my child have constant feelings of sadness/hopelessness?
Are there signs of social withdrawal in my child?
Are there changes in his/her appetite &/or sleep?
Is my child crying?
Is my child having difficulty concentrating?
Is my child tired and has low energy?
Is my child complaining of headaches, tummy aches without any reason?
Does my child feel worthless or guilty?
Does my child have thoughts of suicide?

Remember, your child won’t necessarily show all the symptoms of depression at one time, so you may have to be attentive and watch out for different symptoms at different times, in different scenarios. Usually, childhood depression will be noticeable, if significant, at school & can be picked up from the academic performance. A child with dropping grades, lack of interest in social activities and in school, is a giveaway. If they are above the age of 12, you may as a parent want to be vigilant, as there could be substance abuse involved too.

Keep in mind that suicide under the age of 12 is not very common, but not unheard of either. Young children too can be a victim to suicide and however girls are more likely to attempt it, boys are more likely to die from suicide.

As a parent, it is also important to note that there are many factors that have a hand in depression. There could be involvement of genetics, family history and/or environmental factors just to name a few.

Remember, if you notice symptoms of depression in your child for at least two weeks, this should be enough to prompt you to take your child to his/her paediatrician & it may require a multidisciplinary approach. A number of questions will be asked not just to the child, but the parents, the teacher as well as the friends in some instances, to enable a proper mental health evaluation & conclude a proper treatment plan, where treatment may include psychotherapy and/or medication.

Usually, due to the societal stigma, parents can be in denial whereby they don’t want to admit their child is suffering from depression. As a consequence, help from the appropriate mental health professionals is ignored, putting the child at a risk. To avoid this it is therefore important to read about depression and learn about its effects on children, as it could affect one’s childhood, adolescence all the way into adulthood, debilitating the child’s growth and health.