Depression in Children and Teens
About Depression
Depression isn't just bad moods and occasional melancholy. It's not just feeling down or sad, either. These feelings are normal in kids, especially during the teen years. Even when major disappointments and setbacks make people feel sad and angry, the negative feelings usually lessen with time.
But when a depressive state, or mood, lingers for a long time - weeks, months, or even longer - and limits a person's ability to function normally, it can be diagnosed as depression.
Types of depression include: major depression, dysthymia, adjustment disorder with depressed mood, seasonal affective disorder, and bipolar disorder or manic depression. All of these can affect kids and teenagers.
Signs and Symptoms of Pediatric Depression
Children with depression may display these symptoms:
- Depressed or irritable mood
- Difficulty sleeping or concentrating
- Change in grades, getting into trouble at school, or refusing to go to school
- Change in eating habits
- Feeling angry and irritable
- Mood swings
- Feeling worthless or restless
- Frequent sadness or crying
- Withdrawing from friends and activities
- Loss of energy
- Low self-esteem
- Thoughts of death or suicide
What Caregivers Can Do
- Pay attention to the duration of the symptoms. Is this just a bad day, or has it been a few bad days in a row? For instance, your child might be strugging with something serious if their fatigue, irritability and sadness last longer than one or two weeks and permeate dfferent parts of their lives.
- Take your child for a full medical checkup. Many conditions can look like depression. For example, diabetes, anemia, mononucleosis or a simple streptoccus infection can mimic depressive symptoms. That's why ruling our medical conditions first is key.
- Get a comprehensive evaluation from a mental health professional. If there's no medical condition that accounts for the symptoms, take your child to a practitioner who specializes in mood disorders. An extensive assessment will help determine if your child has depression, and what treatments are best. It'll also let you know if your child is struggling with subclinical issues. This means tha tyour child has symptoms of depression but doesn't meet the diagnostic criteria for the disorder. This is important to know because you can learn what kinds of interventions can be used to prevent a full-blown disorder from developing.
- Get effective treatment. Depression doesn't go away on its own. It's a chronic illness that can't be willed away or brushed aside with a change in attitude. It won't go away if a parent yells, gets extra strict or ignores the problem either. Play therapy and family therapy are helpful for toddlers and preschoolers. Individual talk therapy is helpful for teens. Medication also may be helpful as adjunct for some kids.
The Difference Between Teenage and Adult Depression