Summary
Symptoms of depression include:
- Sadness, crying and feelings of hopelessness
- Changes in eating or sleeping patterns
- Weight gain or weight loss
Children and adolescents can be depressed, just like adults. Depression is more than just feeling sad or blue. It is a medical disorder. It can affect your child’s relationships. It can affect how well they do in school. It can affect how a child functions overall. The good news is that treatment helps both children and teens.
What is depression?
Depression affects people of all ages, sexes and races. It affects people from all income levels. Depression can happen only once or it can happen in cycles. It can also go along with a manic episode. This is a highly excited mood.
Depression isn’t caused by one single event. It’s caused by a many factors working together. And, the causes vary from person to person. It can be caused by lowered levels of chemicals in the brain that send messages to the nerves. While depression can be triggered by stress or tragic events, they do not cause it. Some depression happens without any kind of clear external causes. Studies show that depression can run in families.
Signs of depression
In some children and teens, the signs of depression are similar to the symptoms in adults. These include:
- Sadness, crying and feelings of hopelessness
- Changes in eating or sleeping patterns
- Weight gain or weight loss
- Loss of enjoyment in their favorite activities
- Complaints about physical problems that have no medical basis
- Fatigue, inability to concentrate, boredom
- Loss of self esteem
- Feelings of hopelessness or guilt
- Irritability
- Recurrent thoughts of death or suicide
- Attempts or talk of self harm
Children may also show other kinds of symptoms. They include:
- Being afraid to go to school
- Having exaggerated fears about unusual things, like their parents dying or a plane crashing into their school
In teens, depression can show in many ways:
- Sulking or refusing to take part in family or school activities
- Problems in school such as failing grades or fighting with peers
- Risky behavior like drinking, drugs, sexual acting out or breaking the law
Symptoms of depression may also look like alcohol or substance use disorder. Symptoms can also look like attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), or other kinds of problems. Watch your child carefully over a period of time. This is the best way to decide if the problems are ongoing, or if your child is reacting to something temporary in his life.
Treatment options
Treatment for depression starts with an assessment by a mental health provider. In some cases, depression is diagnosed by the child’s primary care physician (PCP). Your mental health provider or PCP may also talk to you about your child’s general health. They may ask about what’s going on at home or at school. These questions help them understand what might be causing the depression. Be as honest as possible with the provider. They are not prying. They are only trying to get enough facts to make a correct diagnosis.
Treatment may include medicine. It can also include one-on-one, group or family therapy. Therapy focuses on helping your child to talk about her problems. This can help her learn skills to deal with problems. It can help her see her problems from a new point of view.
School may or may not be a problem for a depressed child. Depression does not always show up as behavior problems in school. Other disorders such as ADHD are easier to see in school. If your child has recently become depressed, the teacher may notice a drop in grades. He may contact you about his concerns.
Some children do not come to the attention of teachers at all. In these cases, their depression causes the child to become withdrawn. Other children will become involved in drugs or alcohol. Some will take part in dangerous activities because of their depression. That is why it is important to be involved in your child’s school life. Changes that might not be obvious at home may show up at school.
Tips for parents
- If you suspect your child is depressed, get help. Don’t dismiss your concerns. Don’t think that the symptoms will go away by themselves. They probably won’t and they might get worse.
- Don’t take the blame for your child’s depression. Even if something you did (such as get a divorce) was a trigger, it’s not your fault.
- Don’t tell your child to snap out of it. Depression is a real disorder. A person with depression can’t just snap out of it any easier than a person who had diabetes.
- Let your child know you are there for them. Remind them you love them. Let them know over and over again, even if they get angry and try to push you away. Thet need to hear this because they are feeling hopeless and worthless.
- Once your child begins to talk, let them talk about whatever they want to. Don’t make judgments or criticize. Just listen.
Summary
Symptoms of depression include:
- Sadness, crying and feelings of hopelessness
- Changes in eating or sleeping patterns
- Weight gain or weight loss
Children and adolescents can be depressed, just like adults. Depression is more than just feeling sad or blue. It is a medical disorder. It can affect your child’s relationships. It can affect how well they do in school. It can affect how a child functions overall. The good news is that treatment helps both children and teens.
What is depression?
Depression affects people of all ages, sexes and races. It affects people from all income levels. Depression can happen only once or it can happen in cycles. It can also go along with a manic episode. This is a highly excited mood.
Depression isn’t caused by one single event. It’s caused by a many factors working together. And, the causes vary from person to person. It can be caused by lowered levels of chemicals in the brain that send messages to the nerves. While depression can be triggered by stress or tragic events, they do not cause it. Some depression happens without any kind of clear external causes. Studies show that depression can run in families.
Signs of depression
In some children and teens, the signs of depression are similar to the symptoms in adults. These include:
- Sadness, crying and feelings of hopelessness
- Changes in eating or sleeping patterns
- Weight gain or weight loss
- Loss of enjoyment in their favorite activities
- Complaints about physical problems that have no medical basis
- Fatigue, inability to concentrate, boredom
- Loss of self esteem
- Feelings of hopelessness or guilt
- Irritability
- Recurrent thoughts of death or suicide
- Attempts or talk of self harm
Children may also show other kinds of symptoms. They include:
- Being afraid to go to school
- Having exaggerated fears about unusual things, like their parents dying or a plane crashing into their school
In teens, depression can show in many ways:
- Sulking or refusing to take part in family or school activities
- Problems in school such as failing grades or fighting with peers
- Risky behavior like drinking, drugs, sexual acting out or breaking the law
Symptoms of depression may also look like alcohol or substance use disorder. Symptoms can also look like attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), or other kinds of problems. Watch your child carefully over a period of time. This is the best way to decide if the problems are ongoing, or if your child is reacting to something temporary in his life.
Treatment options
Treatment for depression starts with an assessment by a mental health provider. In some cases, depression is diagnosed by the child’s primary care physician (PCP). Your mental health provider or PCP may also talk to you about your child’s general health. They may ask about what’s going on at home or at school. These questions help them understand what might be causing the depression. Be as honest as possible with the provider. They are not prying. They are only trying to get enough facts to make a correct diagnosis.
Treatment may include medicine. It can also include one-on-one, group or family therapy. Therapy focuses on helping your child to talk about her problems. This can help her learn skills to deal with problems. It can help her see her problems from a new point of view.
School may or may not be a problem for a depressed child. Depression does not always show up as behavior problems in school. Other disorders such as ADHD are easier to see in school. If your child has recently become depressed, the teacher may notice a drop in grades. He may contact you about his concerns.
Some children do not come to the attention of teachers at all. In these cases, their depression causes the child to become withdrawn. Other children will become involved in drugs or alcohol. Some will take part in dangerous activities because of their depression. That is why it is important to be involved in your child’s school life. Changes that might not be obvious at home may show up at school.
Tips for parents
- If you suspect your child is depressed, get help. Don’t dismiss your concerns. Don’t think that the symptoms will go away by themselves. They probably won’t and they might get worse.
- Don’t take the blame for your child’s depression. Even if something you did (such as get a divorce) was a trigger, it’s not your fault.
- Don’t tell your child to snap out of it. Depression is a real disorder. A person with depression can’t just snap out of it any easier than a person who had diabetes.
- Let your child know you are there for them. Remind them you love them. Let them know over and over again, even if they get angry and try to push you away. Thet need to hear this because they are feeling hopeless and worthless.
- Once your child begins to talk, let them talk about whatever they want to. Don’t make judgments or criticize. Just listen.
Summary
Symptoms of depression include:
- Sadness, crying and feelings of hopelessness
- Changes in eating or sleeping patterns
- Weight gain or weight loss
Children and adolescents can be depressed, just like adults. Depression is more than just feeling sad or blue. It is a medical disorder. It can affect your child’s relationships. It can affect how well they do in school. It can affect how a child functions overall. The good news is that treatment helps both children and teens.
What is depression?
Depression affects people of all ages, sexes and races. It affects people from all income levels. Depression can happen only once or it can happen in cycles. It can also go along with a manic episode. This is a highly excited mood.
Depression isn’t caused by one single event. It’s caused by a many factors working together. And, the causes vary from person to person. It can be caused by lowered levels of chemicals in the brain that send messages to the nerves. While depression can be triggered by stress or tragic events, they do not cause it. Some depression happens without any kind of clear external causes. Studies show that depression can run in families.
Signs of depression
In some children and teens, the signs of depression are similar to the symptoms in adults. These include:
- Sadness, crying and feelings of hopelessness
- Changes in eating or sleeping patterns
- Weight gain or weight loss
- Loss of enjoyment in their favorite activities
- Complaints about physical problems that have no medical basis
- Fatigue, inability to concentrate, boredom
- Loss of self esteem
- Feelings of hopelessness or guilt
- Irritability
- Recurrent thoughts of death or suicide
- Attempts or talk of self harm
Children may also show other kinds of symptoms. They include:
- Being afraid to go to school
- Having exaggerated fears about unusual things, like their parents dying or a plane crashing into their school
In teens, depression can show in many ways:
- Sulking or refusing to take part in family or school activities
- Problems in school such as failing grades or fighting with peers
- Risky behavior like drinking, drugs, sexual acting out or breaking the law
Symptoms of depression may also look like alcohol or substance use disorder. Symptoms can also look like attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), or other kinds of problems. Watch your child carefully over a period of time. This is the best way to decide if the problems are ongoing, or if your child is reacting to something temporary in his life.
Treatment options
Treatment for depression starts with an assessment by a mental health provider. In some cases, depression is diagnosed by the child’s primary care physician (PCP). Your mental health provider or PCP may also talk to you about your child’s general health. They may ask about what’s going on at home or at school. These questions help them understand what might be causing the depression. Be as honest as possible with the provider. They are not prying. They are only trying to get enough facts to make a correct diagnosis.
Treatment may include medicine. It can also include one-on-one, group or family therapy. Therapy focuses on helping your child to talk about her problems. This can help her learn skills to deal with problems. It can help her see her problems from a new point of view.
School may or may not be a problem for a depressed child. Depression does not always show up as behavior problems in school. Other disorders such as ADHD are easier to see in school. If your child has recently become depressed, the teacher may notice a drop in grades. He may contact you about his concerns.
Some children do not come to the attention of teachers at all. In these cases, their depression causes the child to become withdrawn. Other children will become involved in drugs or alcohol. Some will take part in dangerous activities because of their depression. That is why it is important to be involved in your child’s school life. Changes that might not be obvious at home may show up at school.
Tips for parents
- If you suspect your child is depressed, get help. Don’t dismiss your concerns. Don’t think that the symptoms will go away by themselves. They probably won’t and they might get worse.
- Don’t take the blame for your child’s depression. Even if something you did (such as get a divorce) was a trigger, it’s not your fault.
- Don’t tell your child to snap out of it. Depression is a real disorder. A person with depression can’t just snap out of it any easier than a person who had diabetes.
- Let your child know you are there for them. Remind them you love them. Let them know over and over again, even if they get angry and try to push you away. Thet need to hear this because they are feeling hopeless and worthless.
- Once your child begins to talk, let them talk about whatever they want to. Don’t make judgments or criticize. Just listen.