The topic of depression in children has never really been on the forefront of my mind until recent months. A few months ago, a friend’s 9 year old daughter uttered possibly one of the most chilling 5 words you’ve ever heard come out of a child’s mouth.
“I just want to die.”
Without going into the details, I can tell you that the circumstances surrounding the statement were enough to throw off the mental health of even an adult. Coupled with the pressures of adolescence and overall hormonal changes, there was no doubt that this little girl was going through a hard time. I haven’t heard her say those words again since, but there have been some behaviors that are a growing concern to me, as I suspect that she may be experiencing depression.
However, truth be told she’s not the first child I’ve seen go through this. Even my 6 year old gets in these weird funks sometimes, but I can’t tell if it’s something serious or if it’s just because she’s my child. (Keeping it real) When that happens, I tell her to excuse herself and let out a good cry in her room to regain her composure and that usually does the trick.
But how can you tell the difference between just a little childhood fit, occasional bad day, or full on clinical depression in children?
Before talking to my friend and causing unnecessary concern, I thought the best thing for me to do would be to arm myself with as much information as possible about the topic of depression in children to better understand what to look for and what role I can play in helping this family.
Here’s some important information I’ve found about depression in children:
Childhood Depression Causes and Risk Factors:
It’s important to note that not all kids react to the pressures and sadness in life the same. In other words, every child that undergoes a tough experience will not necessarily become diagnosed with clinical depression. However, these are the factors that could play a role in depression in children:
- Heredity – According to Families for Depression Awareness, there’s a 25% chance a child could suffer from depression if one parent suffers. That percentage jumps to 50% if both parents suffer from depression.
- Trauma – Life changing events such as death of a loved one, divorce, abuse, etc. can weigh very heavily on both children and adults alike. However, since children have not yet developed the necessary coping skills, such traumatic events can often affect children in a different way and lead to depression.
- Hormonal or Chemical imbalances – These can come naturally from puberty when hormones kick in. Depression in children is usually diagnosed during that time. According to the experts, it is likely that children who suffer from depression do not produce adequate amounts of the chemicals in the brain that regulate emotion, called neurotransmitters. These are serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine.
Childhood Depression Signs:
According to the experts, if your child displays 5 or more of these symptoms or behaviors, for an extended period of time (2 weeks or more), these may be potential signs of depression:
- lacking energy or complaining about being bored or tired
- suffering from low self esteem
- giving away favorite belongings
- irritable or angry for no apparent reason
- no interest in spending time with friends or other activities they used to enjoy
- frequent stomach or head aches
- weight loss
- excessive sleeping
- talking about running away from home
- grades suffering in school
- talking about hurting or killing his/herself
I would warn to go against the experts on that last one and say that if your child is talking about harming his/herself, it’s worth investigating that immediately, regardless of the other symptoms.
Treatment for Depression in Children:
First and foremost, if you believe you are seeing signs of depression in your child, speak to your Pediatrician, who may then refer you to a mental health specialist. I know many experts will recommend anti-depression medication to treat depression in children, however, please note that this is where my personal philosophies as a Chiro-wife differ from the suggestions of these experts. I would just encourage you to seek second opinions before administering medication. While medication may certainly help with treating depression, I have heard of cases where alternative methods such as changes in diet and exercise habits help as well. This is a personal decision only a parent can make, however. I AM NOT A DOCTOR!
Do you know a child who is or has shown signs of depression? What are your thoughts on the subject of depression in children, such as treatment options, additional warning signs, etc?
Depression is very common with pre-teens and teenagers, probably because they are going through so much changes and that’s also the time they begin to see the world in a different light. It’s even more common when bullying is involved. It’s really important to show our kids that we support and love them. Thanks for posting this, it’s nice that people are raising awareness.
Depression has to be taken seriously. If I notice my child with depression. I would be concerned and ask questions. Helping my child can have a good out come and solution. If depression persists I would keep a close eye on my child and find someone that can help. Thanks for your post.
i’m with you on the whole depression meds thing – TOO MANY times our children are given anti-depression medication
Depression should be taken seriously in anyone, but especially our children. So many communities choose to ignore kids/teenagers feeling depressed, putting it off as a stage. Great post.
I think we all need to be vigilant when it comes to our children. We need to catch this stuff early.
This post is really good and a good eye opener for me since I suffer from seasonal depression. So far, my kids don’t have it which is a good thing. Depression is not something to ignore and making sure you see it early on, is very important.
Very Awesome post! It is very informative and helpful. My daughter doesn’t display depressive symptoms that often and mostly normal stuff. On the other hand, She displays social withdraw and other issues mostly related to anxiety. Thanks for sharing!
I think you would find my posts helpful and informative as well. Feel free to visit me! http://psychandmom.blogspot.com/2015/10/spooky-thoughts-spooky-feelings-panic.html
Teenage depression is still a hidden topic it maybe common but many Parents are still in the dark. I have seen kids as young as nine who are extremely sad however first we need to find out why she felt this way. Discussed with primary doctor and see what they say about your daughter. Thanks for sharing your story
Depression is a very serious thing. This is a great list of things to look for. Thankfully my kids are happy (for the most part) but this is a great resource for prevention & how to get help.
Sad we have to even worry about this for kids…
We have to watch our kids closely. We have to talk to them, and be honest with them.
Great post. More people need to be aware of the symptoms described in this post.
-c.
http://theblockishaute.com
This article reminds me to watch for signs within my own kids. I’m praying it won’t come to this.
Depression is kind of thing that should take seriously and we need to keep it away from our kids for their normal mental growth!!
This is great information. I would be afraid to have to determine if a child is acting out by threatening to hurt themselves, or seriously contemplating it. I can’t imagine that struggle.
This is a very important issue. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks so much for this. For bringing awareness to the silent voice. I never really thought about depression in kids. I am now aware of the signs and will be in the look out as a mom, educator and youth leader. Great post.
Great tips, one of my greatest worries is that my children might be dealing with something and I not know about it. My oldest is almost 11 and easing into the stage where nothing in life seems right. Middle school was a huge wake up call for me.
I’m not at the middle school years yet, but I guess all you can do is maintain that open line of communication with your children. Some things will just be typical pre-teen/teen issues, but you hope they’ll talk to you when things get more serious.
This is a sad, yet necessary topic to discuss!A lot of the kids nowadays are burdened with some heavy stuff. Great post!
They are and it’s so sad! Not that my childhood was the easiest, but I couldn’t imagine surviving through some of the things I see kids experience nowadays.