An overview of childhood depression

-- Source of Information : timeswellness.com, Dr Parul R Sheth --

A number of factors can trigger depression at any age or at any stage, and children are no exception to this. They too can suffer from depression; anxiety, sadness, feelings of hopelessness creeping in their tiny minds. Sadly enough children are unable to communicate about what they are feeling or experiencing.

Professor Pratap Sharan, Department of Psychiatry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, points out “The prevalence of depression in children and adolescents in India needs to be understood in the context of the high and ever increasing evidence of suicidal behaviour in young Indian population.” In the general population, about 5% of children and adolescents suffer from depression at some time or the other.

Children may inherit the depressive trait. All those children who are under extreme stress due to events such as divorce of their parents, childhood abuse, loss of a parent or a close family member, setbacks at school or love life in teenagers and those with disorders associated with attention and learning, are more prone to depression.

At times children who seem to have an ideal life can still suffer from depression. When depression persists it may interfere with the child/adolescent’s ability to function. It is therefore important for adults to seek out this depression and help the child offering them plenty of love, care and support.

Different types of depressions

There are several types and forms of depression. But the common types of depression that affect kids and teenagers are - major depression, dysthymia, reactive depression, seasonal affective disorder and bipolar disorder or manic depression. Bipolar depression in children can be severe and yet it is more common in adolescents. It can occur along with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) or conduct disorder (CD).

Major depression: This is a serious form of depression that may last for at least two weeks. This is a condition that brings about persistent sad moods and the child feels depressed almost every day. There can be feelings of worthlessness or guilt and unhappiness all the time.

Your child may lose interest in activities, which he/she used to enjoy, criticize, and imagine that others are criticizing them. The child harbours negative feelings; feels unloved and may even think about suicide. Children with major depression can have trouble concentrating, decision making, they neglect their looks and dressing, sleep too little or too much and may turn aggressive at times. Your child may not seem so sad but he/she can be in bad moods that remain for a long time. This depressive state can interfere with eating, sleeping and other daily activities.

Dysthymia: This is a minor form of depression but can last longer. A child with dysthymia can become irritable and gloomy for a long period of time; almost a year or even longer. There is a feeling of hopelessness and low self-esteem and problems with eating and sleeping. Unlike major depression, the problems do not interfere with day-to-day activities. The child is engulfed in sadness all the time. Experts report almost 10% of dysthymic children developing major depression.

Reactive depression: This is the most common form of depression in children and teenagers. It does not last long. The depression can be because of a reaction to an instance for example, a big fight with friends or a loss of someone close or low grades at school etc. The feelings are that of sadness and sluggishness, which are temporary. The mood lifts on its own once the child indulges in a new activity.

Bipolar disorder: Also called manic-depressive illness, affects around 1-2% of children. This is a mood disorder, which is characterized by low moods or sadness followed by an episode of high moods or mania causing irritability and volatile temper.  Bipolar disorder often develops in teenage years, which can then persist in adulthood. Mania can make your teenager overconfident and loud. Both children and adolescents experience anxiety, irritability, attention deficit disorders and behavioural problems in addition to mood changes because of episodes of depression and mania.

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD): A change of seasons, especially winter can cause SAD, which results in depression, fatigue, overeating etc. According to a survey carried out by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), National Institutes of Health, Maryland, USA, about 3% of children suffer from SAD with a greater incidence occurring in the last three years of high school in the US.

Read more at : http://www.timeswellness.com/article/3/201105032011050217144777153b346a0/An-overview-of-childhood-depression.html