Ravina Sewani

Many people use the word depressed very casually. Never just assume that your child is depressed if you haven’t got your child assessed by a clinical psychologist or a psychiatrist. If your child is functioning fine but just remains upset or irritated, this might be some stress. You can talk to your child and understand the reason behind it. If your child along with being sad or irritated does not eat and sleep well, (s)he needs evaluation done by a clinical psychologist or a psychiatrist. Depression in children is different from their developing emotions. Sadness does not equal to depression. If your child’s sadness becomes constant and interferes his/her daily tasks and routine, family life, schoolwork, or their friendship, it may indicate that your child needs professional help. Symptoms:<ul><li>Irritability or anger</li><li>Continuous feelings of sadness and hopelessness</li><li>Social withdrawal</li><li>Increased sensitivity to rejection</li><li>Changes in appetite – increased or decreased</li><li>Changes in sleep – reduced or excessive</li><li>Vocal outbursts or crying</li><li>Difficulty concentrating</li><li>Fatigue and low energy</li><li>Physical complaints (such as stomach aches, headaches) that don't respond to treatment</li><li>Reduced ability to function during events and activities at home or with friends, in school, extracurricular activities, and in other hobbies or interests</li><li>Feelings of worthlessness or guilt</li><li>Thoughts of death or suicide</li></ul>Not every child has the same symptoms. Most children display different symptoms at different times and in different settings. Risk factors:Children with a family history of violence, alcohol abuse, or physical or sexual abuse are at greater risk of experiencing depression. Causes:<ul><li>Physical health issues</li><li>Life events</li><li>Family history of depression</li><li>Family conflicts</li><li>Genetic vulnerability</li><li>Substance abuse</li></ul> Diagnosis:<ul><li>A doctor’s visit needs to be scheduled for your child if the symptoms of depression have lasted for at least two weeks. Remember that a visit to a mental healthcare professional – either a psychiatrist or a psychologist – is needed to properly have a plan of action for your child.</li><li>A mental health evaluation usually includes interviews with you (the parent or primary caregiver) and your child. Information from teachers, friends and classmates can be useful for showing that these symptoms are consistent during your child's various activities and are different from previous behaviour.</li><li>There are no specific tests that can clearly show depression, but tools such as questionnaires (for both the child and parents) combined with personal information, can be very useful in helping diagnose depression in children.</li></ul> Treatment:<ul><li>Treatment includes psychotherapy (counselling) and medication. Your child's doctor may suggest psychotherapy first, and consider antidepressant medicine as an additional option if there is no significant improvement.</li><li>It is difficult for parents to accept the fact that their child might be depressed. Some parents tend to live in denial of this fact and avoid taking help from a mental healthcare professional. It is very important for parents to understand depression and realise the importance of treatment so that children can grow physically and emotionally in a healthy way.</li></ul> Prevention:Most of the times it is difficult for parents to prevent depression in children, mostly because depression is a type of mental illness and is invisible as such. Hence most parents don't see it coming. Many have a great deal in accepting that their child might be depressed. But you can always choose an emotionally healthy lifestyle to reduce the chances of your child going under depression. Following are a few things to keep in mind:Establish routine in your child's life. Avoid unnecessary moving of houses and schools. Stick to a schedule.Encourage open and honest communication.Keep a check on your behaviour. Do not constantly nag your child or always telling them what not to do. Opt for constructive feedback and try and understand their perspective towards things.Keep arguments among family and arguments between husband and wife away from children.Support your child's self-esteem.

Here are Depression Symptoms, Causes, Risk factors, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention.

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