Brighter Pathways ©  2009

1237 E. Livingston Street, Suite B

Orlando, FL 32803-5401

Ph: 407-895-0540 ~ Fax: (407) 228-9771

Licenses:  SS00305 ~ MH02676 ~ PCE-9

Recognition

 

The first step in helping the depressed child is to recognize that the child is, in fact, depressed.  This can be challenging.  For one thing, it is difficult for adults to accept that young children – even toddlers – can suffer from depression.  Childhood is supposed to be a happy, carefree time of life.  Only in the last few decades has scientific evidence convinced most mental health specialists that childhood depression exists.

 

Recognizing the symptoms of childhood depression can also be difficult.  While some children display the classic symptoms – sadness, anxiety, restlessness, eating and sleeping problems – others express their depression through physical problems – various aches and pains that do not respond to treatment.  Still others hide their feeling of hopelessness and worthlessness under a cover of irritability, aggression, hyperactivity and misbehavior.

 

Developmental Stages

 

Complicating the recognition of depression are the developmental stages that children pass through on the way to adulthood.  Negativism, clinginess, or rebellion may be normal and temporary depressed moods just as adults experience.  Careful observation of a child for several weeks may be required to determine if there is a problem.  When symptoms of possible depression seem severe or continue for more than a few weeks, an evaluation by the child’s pediatrician to rule out a physical illness would be a good first step.  A next step, if deemed necessary, would be consultation with a mental health professional who specializes in treating children.

 

Treatment

 

While parents typically assume prime responsibility for getting treatment for their depressed child, other people – relatives, teachers, friends – can play a role.  The important role played by parents cannot be emphasized enough.  Parents not only procure their child’s treatment, it often is necessary for them to participate in it.  Sometimes a parent may reap some personal benefit from a child’s treatment.

 

The major objectives of treatment, however, are to alleviate the child’s depression and strengthen the child’s coping and adaptive skills, possibly preventing future psychological problems.  This is not to say the early treatment is the total answer.  Some problems are not readily resolved and some re-emerge later in life.

Depression in Children