- Often crying
- Unpleasantness, irritability,
- Physical agitation like fidgeting or hyperactivity
- Rage
- Fluctuations
- Disinterest in former hobbies
- Conflict among siblings and relatives
- Avoiding friends and extracurriculars
- Isolation
- Fatigue, lethargy, and
- Sleeplessness
- Weight and appetite changes
- Inattention
- Self-doubt and guilt
- Hopelessness
- Preoccupation with death, suicide, or self-harm (verbally, in conduct, or in play)
- Poor school performance or disinterest in school
- Frequent headaches, stomachaches, and other bodily issues
***Note: Call the doctor if you think your kid could damage themselves or others.
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What Causes Childhood Depression?
Biology and the environment create depression. Depression is linked to brain chemistry, particularly chemical neurotransmitters that send signals between nerve cells. Decreased neurotransmitters may cause depression and other mental illnesses by disrupting brain function. Depression risk rises if a parent experiences depression as a youngster. Depression might also be caused by other factors. Environmental depression risk factors include:
- Early childhood neglect, abuse, or abandonment
- Stress from family strife, financial issues, persistent school issues, or a tough relocation
- Losing a friend or pet
- PTSD (physical or emotional)
- Other learning, behavioral, or psychiatric issues (Depressed children may also have anxiety, ADHD, behavioral disorders, eating disorders, or drug misuse issues.)
- Chronic illnesses
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How To Treat Depression In Kids
Helping your depressed child is crucial. Depressed kids may skip school, lose friends, and miss activities. Depression increases the chance of drug use, teen suicide, and misbehavior. Depression is curable. Therapy usually works for mild depression. Medication and psychotherapy are frequently suggested for severe depression that doesn’t improve with treatment.
- Therapy. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Interpersonal Therapy (IPT) are effective depression treatments. Play and parent-child therapy may help two through six-year-olds.
- Cognitive behavior therapy. Most children with depression get CBT. CBT helps kids to replace negative ideas with positive ones that make them feel better. It can teach kids self-control and problem-solving. CBT’s play therapy may help younger, less vocal children express themselves.
Group treatment, family therapy (including the kid, parents, and siblings), and parent counseling may also be recommended. Group treatment involves less than 10 youngsters with comparable issues.
- Interpersonal therapy. IBT emphasizes interpersonal interactions. The therapist helps a youngster enhance family and friend connections via talking and role-playing. IBT may assist a youngster who is grieving, in conflict with significant people, having issues adjusting to life changes, or is socially isolated. IBT may incorporate family, parent, play, and group therapy like CBT.
- Antidepressants. Antidepressants may rectify a chemical imbalance that causes depression, but they don’t always work. Concerns include side effects. For mild to moderate depression, experts suggest treatment before medications. Some mood-boosting drugs might cause suicidal thoughts and attempts in children and young people under 25.
Medication may hide a child’s depression and prevent successful therapy. A youngster who’s depressed due to family conflict or teacher disagreement might benefit from a shift in the setting.
However, safe antidepressants for children outweigh the hazards. Discuss antidepressant dangers and advantages with your child’s doctor and closely monitor them if they’re on them. You, your kid, and their doctors should decide on medicine together.
Your child’s doctor will usually prescribe one medicine, work with you to see whether it’s working, and monitor side effects. Your child’s doctor may change medications or doses based on their reaction. Medication might take weeks or months to work.
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), including fluoxetine (Prozac), citalopram (Celexa), escitalopram (Lexapro), fluvoxamine (Luvox), paroxetine (Paxil), and sertraline (Zoloft) are the most used antidepressants for children (Zoloft). If your kid doesn’t react to an SSRI, their doctor may prescribe bupropion (Wellbutrin), desvenlafaxine (Pristiq), or duloxetine (Cymbalta).
Depression may be persistent; therefore, children need support learning coping skills. Even when youngsters need medicine, experts recommend counseling. Antidepressants won’t fix the issue; therefore, kids on them need continuous supervision.
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How To Find A Mental Health Professional For Your Child
Consult your child’s doctor, other doctors, family, school counselors, and friends. They may recommend someone they trust. Online tools like:
- The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry provides Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist Finder in your area.
- The American Psychological Association has a Psychologist Locator where you may find a psychologist by region and specialty.
- Anxiety & Depression Association of America provides a Find a Therapist Directory.
- The Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies gives a CBT Therapist Directory to discover cognitive-behavioral psychologists, psychiatrists, and clinical social workers.
- Psychology, Today’s website offers a Find a Therapist connection to local mental health providers.
Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and most other insurance plans include mental and behavioral health care, although benefits vary. Ask your insurer about your coverage and out-of-pocket payments. Once you have a few names, ask them background questions like these:
- Are you licensed?
- What are your degrees?
- Are you board-certified?
- Practiced timeline?
- Your specialty?
- How do you treat?
- Treatment duration?
- Fees? Accept my insurance? Is your charge sliding? Can you arrange payment?
If your kid has another mental health issue connected to depression, such as attention deficit disorder or an eating disorder, see a specialist.
Finally, you and your kid should like the caregiver. Find a child-friendly talker. Before bringing your kid to a session, you might call or visit with possible therapists. If a therapist doesn’t seem right, try another. Depressed children are hard on parents too. Self-care and asking for assistance are important.
RELATED: Children and Mental Health: What You Can Do to Help Your Child?
How To Help Your Child With Depression
Depressed kids need help. Be kind and patient. Listen without judgment when your youngster wants to speak. Encourage them to express their emotions, including death and suicide anxieties. Trust them and embrace competent aid. Help your youngster relax:
- Reduce chores and extracurriculars.
- Ask instructors to reduce your child’s schoolwork.
- Social media may expose your youngster to harassment and bullying. Set social media rules and implement parental controls.
- Find enjoyable things to do with your kid or their pals. Build on your child’s abilities and interests.
- Encourage awareness and relaxation.
- Routines may boost security and control.
- Break down problems to help people solve them.
Help them stay healthy by: