When talking about depression, we always consider it as a disease of an adult. But you may be surprised to know that children are also at a heightened risk of developing depression.

Yes, all of us know that children are prone to mood swings and stress. And likewise, they are also susceptible to develop depression. However, it is difficult to recognize depression in children than depression in adult.

Depression is common mental illness that affects thoughts, feeling and behavior. This disorder is well-known to occur in adults. However, only few of us are aware that it can occur in children too. 

It’s perfectly normal for children to feel sad if something not go according to their expectations. This is a normal response to upsetting events. The children have a tendency to overcome these sad feelings and revert back to normal life. But if a child is still feeling sorrow for an extended duration, that might indicate something troublesome. 

Demoralizing thoughts can significantly affect mood, behavior, sleep and appetite. These changes can range in intensity from mild to severe and lead to physical and emotional ailments. What gets less attention is the profound impact it has on day-to-day life of children.

Identifying depression in children

Depression symptoms can vary significantly according to each child. Children may exhibit their own, individualized symptoms, which may also change over the period of time.

In some cases, an intense or disproportionate mood swing may manifest as crying, irritability, or angry outbursts. While others may display signs of social withdrawal by staying away from friends during social activities. It can make seeing friends, going to school and taking part in social activity a lot more difficult.

Struggle experienced in the classroom can be overwhelming to these children. The buildup of incomplete and missing assignments, uncharacteristic distractibility and lack of desire to perform well leads to poor academic achievement.

Along with that repeatedly avoiding eating lunch or mid-day snacks, falling asleep at an unusual time and unexplained headache or stomachache are some noticeable changes in a child with depression.

Depression in children could result from several overlapping circumstances. Emotionally painful experiences in the form of family difficulties, domestic violence, peer exclusion, bullying and abuse are some of the factors that may underpin depression development. A family history of depression or other mental health problem also acts as a major risk factor for development of depression.

Diagnosing depression in children is difficult because not all children exhibits same symptoms. Moreover, sometimes it is really difficult to rule out whether a child is experiencing stress or really depressed. 

But one concerning thing to note is depressive feelings are so intense that it starts to affect the child’s ability to function well at home and in school.

Role of parents and teachers

Although there is stigma attached to depression, parents should feel comfortable about open discussion. This will assure a child to safely express their emotions. Children are often nervous about what to do. They don’t want to share their feelings with parents. Providing children an outlet to express can lessen their feelings of distress and emotional struggle.

Therefore, it’s always, always appropriate for parents to stay in touch with their child. Parents must be positive cheerleaders to their child and must give genuine support to build emotional wellness.

Along with parents, teachers can also play a significant role in early identification of depressive symptoms in children. Children spend most of their time in school. This gives an opportunity to teacher to observe, recognize and address emotional issues among children.

Parents should keep in mind that depression is mental health condition and require medical treatment. Early support and treatment for depression help children to get back to normal living. 

With a right approach, and with professional guidance, it is possible to overcome depression to a great extent. An appropriate management reduces the chances of depressive problems continuing into adulthood.

Depression is tough to deal with alone. It’s natural to get concerned about lasting impact it has on child’s sense of well-being. But what these children need is support, warmth and care from their loved ones. 

As parents it’s important to nurture resiliency and boost mental well-being of your children.

Also Check : Nurturing Emotional Resilience In Children

Also Check : Anxiety In Children

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Mediclin Brain Health’s content is for informational and educational purposes only. Our website is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.