Depression in Children
of not having fun, difficulty concentrating, guilt, sleeping problems, and eating problems are all too common in children. In pre- pubertal children, depression is often genetic, and these children have other disorders such as conduct or behavioural disorder. Most importantly, family history ofdepression is the biggest risk factor for children. If your parent is depressed the child is more likely to develop depression.
By Roshin Ibrahim
One of the most common symptoms of depression in children is irritability but theymay also show symptoms that are present in adults, such as: sadness, lethargy, anhedonia, feelings of worthlessness or guilt and engaging in self destructive behavior (conduct disorder).
Sometimes, parents may ignore the depressive symptoms that their child may be showing. It may be because they assumetheir child is either seeking for attention or is just lazy. Yet, depression occurs in 1-2% of children before puberty. Depression can be found in pre-schoolers and pre-pubertal children. What is depression? It is an illness that affects the body, mood and thoughts of the person which leads to appetite loss or gain, sleep dysfunction and low self-esteem. Depressive disorders are characterized by mood changes that affecta person’s daily functioning. How can we identify Depression in children? Depressive disorders in children do not have a specific cause, rather a play of bothnature and nurture. The symptoms Essential Grace
Furthermore, psychological contributors to depression may include low selfesteem, negative social skills, being unable to deal with negative events or trauma, neglectfrom parents and peers, and social bullying. Additionally, depression may develop due to other mental health problems such as children who suffer from Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD), anxiety, learning disabilities, cognitive problems and conduct disorder may develop depression. Other factors that could lead to a child developing depression could be poverty, exposure to violence, parental conflict, disrupted families and divorce. Children with depression may also exhibit the following symptoms:
Impaired performance of school Boredom Aggression 35
