Investigating Depression in Children

Investigating Depression in Children During childhood years, children are almost as susceptible to being

depressed as adults. Many adults to not realize that being a child can

be very frustrating, and they often feel powerless. Children can have

a lot of stress in their lives and cannot deal with it as easily as

adults. They have many concerns such as school, peers, parental

acceptations, etc. Childhood depression is a mental illness that

affects children's behavior and moods. If it is not treated, in years

to come it may lead to school failure, use of alcohol and/or drugs, or

even suicide.

Depression in children is caused by a possible combination of several

things. It can involve the child's environment, genes, or children

with medical problems. The most common causes of depression evolve

from children who have been abused, who have chaotic families or

households, non-consistent parents, neglect, or other stressful

events. Children who experience loss or who have learning disorders

are more likely to be diagnosed with depression. If bad things happen

to a child and there is a family history of depression, a depressed

child is a very likely outcome. Unlike depressed children, those who

are without so many stresses in their lives do not have as much

likelihood to become easily depressed as they get older. Each child's

depression is individual, and causes will be different for each one.

The depression could be wholly chemical, wholly due to psycholo...

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...the depression is severe enough or recurrent, the

child and family may want to consider longer-term maintenance.

Depression can be a long-term illness, which will follow them as they

grow older. Since a young person who has had a depression is more

vulnerable to drug abuse, one should start out early with preventative

measures. The primary care doctor can help monitor the child if they

relapse, substance abuse and social skills problems during and after

the psychiatric treatment.

The symptoms of depression should be made aware to all parents and

teachers. Depressed children should not be taken lightly, because it

can have very serious effects if it is not treated. Adults must keep

in mind that being a child is not as carefree as they may remember,

and children are almost just as susceptible of depression as they are.