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Depression in Children

Yes, thats right! Children can suffer from depression too. Most of us may think that childhood is a carefree, trouble free period in our lives. However, this is not the case.

• Children too have worries about parental expectations, studies and other things that may seem 'little' to you.
• Children have no control over their lives and are powerless, this can be a frightening and frustrating state of affairs to live through day after day.

This can make them feel depressed!

Causes of depression in children

As told, the above factors can cause depression in children. Cause of depression in each child will be different. The depression could be wholly chemical, or due to psychological factors, or due to combination of the both.

The important thing is to identify the depression and treating it.

Symptoms of childhood depression

• Low self esteem or feelings or worthlessness. Statements like "I am worthless/stupid/bad", "Everyone hates me" etc.
• Loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities.
• Persistent sadness or irritability.
• Significant change in appetite or body weight.
• Difficulty sleeping.
• Loss of energy.
• Difficulty in concentration.
• Thoughts of suicide.

If the child has bipolar depression, these manic symptoms could be present:

• Primary school children with severely disruptive behaviour may be suffering from a depressive disorder rather than - or as well as - attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Children with dysthymic disorder had an overactive adrenaline system.
• Rapid mood swings.
• Increased talking—talks too much, too fast; changes topics too quickly; cannot be interrupted.
• Overly-inflated self-esteem.
• Great energy increase; ability to go with very little or no sleep for days without tiring.

Treatment of depression in child

Once a child has been diagnosed with major depression or dysthymia, the treatment combines short-term psychotherapy, medication, and targeted interventions involving the home or school environment.

Psychotherapy: Certain types of short-term psychotherapy, particularly cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), can help relieve depression in children and adolescents. Psychotherapy targeting interpersonal features of depression appears to be effective.

Psychotherapy should be continued even after the relief of depression symptoms. It helps patients and families consolidate the skills learned during the severe phase of depression and cope with the after-effects of the depression.

Medication: Antidepressant medications, especially when combined with psychotherapy, can be very effective treatments for depressive disorders in adults. However, this has been a controversy. Some researchers believe that pediatricians and family physicians should not prescribe antidepressants for depressed children and adolescents because the drugs barely work and their side effects are often significant.

However, in the last few years, researchers have been able to conduct randomized, placebo-controlled studies on children and adolescents. Some of the newer antidepressant medications, specifically the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), have been shown to be safe and effective for the short-term treatment of severe and persistent depression in young people, although large scale studies in clinical populations are still needed. So far, there are controlled studies showing good results for fluoxetine and paroxetine.

It is important to note that available studies do not support the effectiveness of tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) for this age group. In addition, a recent review of the role of TCAs in children and adolescents cautions that "the future therapeutic role of TCAs for children and adolescents need to be seriously weighed against lethality of overdose, the unresolved issue of possible sudden unexplained death, and the availability of safer and easier to monitor medications."

Medication as a first-line course of treatment should be considered for children and adolescents with severe symptoms that would prevent effective psychotherapy, those who are unable to undergo psychotherapy, those with psychosis, and those with chronic or recurrent episodes.

For a child diagnosed with bipolar disorder, the child must not be given antidepressants as this can trigger mania.

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