Childhood Depression : A Psychological Disorder

More than 17 million Americans have depression. Depression is much more than grieving or ‘the blues’. It’s a serious illness that can take a terrible toll on individuals and families says the Mayo Clinic Health Center. In reality the effect of antidepressants is not that much, but it bases on the certain person and their lifestyle such as sleeping habits, mood, etc. However many have benefited from antidepressants and lives have changed for the better. Yet some have had no effects. Therefore, antidepressants should not be prescribed for children diagnosed with depression.

Depression- the most diagnosed mental illness in the world- is also the most misunderstood. Depression?a sad or discontented mood?can leave a person feeling lethargic, unmotivated, or hopeless, and in some cases ? contemplate suicide. Unfortunately, depression usually begins as high levels of anxiety and with exposure to trauma in children. Higher levels of anxiety or exposure to stress-inducing and traumatic situations as a child could mean an increased risk of depression as an adult. Although a serious mental illness all over the world in

To fully understand the effects of antidepressants on children and adolescents, proper experimentation must be conducted, which could prove challenging as to the span of years and test subjects involved in these cases. Meanwhile, some mental health professionals assert that the use of antidepressants in children may well avert the brain from developing patterns of depression as an adult, and points to studies presenting the advantages which can offset the hazards in implementing such drugs. Depression is ominous and foreboding for those who suffer with this malady; professionals contend that the vast “impact of depression is greater than the impact of the

Depression is defined as a mental illness in which a person is experiencing deep sadness and loneliness. It is known as one of the most common mental illnesses and it affects all kinds of people, regardless of sex, age and religion. Many people are not aware that depression is not only diagnosed in adults, but in children and adolescents as well. Therefore, there is a debate about whether children suffering from depression should be allowed to take antidepressants. Antidepressant drugs should be prescribed for children suffering from depression under the conditions of doctors limiting the medication, including therapy and having the parents informed/educated.

As in adults, depression in children and adolescents is treatable. Certain antidepressant medications such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), can be beneficial to children and adolescents with MDD. Certain psychotherapy modules also have been shown to be effective. However, our awareness of antidepressant treatments in children and adolescents, though growing substantially, is incomplete compared to our knowledge about treating depression in adults.

This paper discusses various published articles and literature that report on results from research conducted on the effectiveness of various approaches in treating childhood depression. The articles vary in their topics and strategies. This paper will examine each article and focus on treatments that have been proven to improve the symptoms of childhood depression.

In the article, Kiran was diagnosed with preschool depression by Joan Luby, a professor of child psychiatry at Washington University School of Medicine. There were several signs that Kiran met the criteria of the Major Depressive Disorder throughout the article. First of all, Elizabeth and Raghu, Kiran’s parents reported that Kiran often said “Nothing is fun”, or “I’m bored”. Moreover, they also recalled that he was somewhat different from typical 4-year-old boys since he did not have lots of fun and did not even show any interest in a trip to Disney World (article). Based on his parents’ report, it seemed obvious that Kiran showed the symptom of anhedonia meaning “feel little joy and lose interest in nearly all activities” (lecture). This is one of the diagnostic criteria for Major Depressive Disorder. Another sign reported by Kiran’s parents was his inappropriate guilt: they paid more attention when they told Kiran about his wrong behavior because he easily internalized it (article). According to the textbook, “feelings of

In an attempt to better understand depression in today’s youth, I have chosen to explore the depths of Major Depressive Disorder and how it affects the young people in our society. Depression amongst school age children and adolescents are the primary focus. The prevalence, adversities, and treatment of the depression are discussed as well. After exploring these few facets of the disorder, I will talk briefly about the Ecological Model developed by Urie Bronfenbrenner and Morris in 1998 that is used by counselors to help evaluate and assess the children who are referred by teachers or medical

One thing that can cause depression is a perfectionistic personality ("ReachOut.com."). With all the stress that comes along with trying to perfect every practice can possibly depress a child. Children are supposed to be having fun playing with friends on playdates and concentrating on school work not getting first place at a beauty pageant where they learn nothing beneficial to them.

Depression is the most common mental disorder, not only for adults, but for children and teenagers as well. The DSM-IV classifies depression as a mood disorder. It states that an individual has suffered a “major depressive episode” if certain symptoms persist for at least two weeks, including a loss of enjoyment in previously pleasurable activities, a sad or irritable mood, a significant change in weight or appetite, problems sleeping or concentrating, and feelings of worthlessness. These symptoms of depression fall into four categories: mood, cognitive, behavioral, and physical. Depression affects how individuals feel, think, behave, and how their bodies work. People with depression may experience symptoms in any or all of the

Prevalence of major depressive disorder in Children and adolescents 7.7% of 8.8% of children having severe impairment prevalence in children is 2% ulta female Day short is about to Mom adolescent is 4 - 8% would male to female ratio is 1 - 2sub syndromal depression is present in 5 to 10% of the children

Depression is difficult to treat in an adult, and treating depression in a child presents additional potential problems. Adults are often treated with a combination of 'talk' and drug therapy, but antidepressants are seldom recommended for young children, because of the potential side effects (although drug treatments are occasionally prescribed). Suicidal ideation has been linked to the administration of antidepressants in young children and adults. For a young child, medication would not be the first course of treatment prescribed.

Until recently depression in children and adolescents had not received a great deal of attention. Increasing interest can probably be traced to a number of influences.

People used to believe that children had no reason to be depressed it wasn’t till a few years ago: “No one thought that children could suffer from real depression; there wasn’t even an official diagnosis for childhood depression until 1980” (Fassler 4). But really who would have thought that such a thing could be possible. Sadly today we know that it’s a real disease and it affects more adolescents than we think: “ The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that as many as 2.5 percent of all American youngsters under the age of eighteen or over 1.5 million children and adolescents are seriously depressed” (Fassler 2).

Perhaps no subject in the contemporary society is as controversial as teenage depression. As we know, people express themselves through their feelings and behaviors. Unfortunately, some people cannot either express their emotion or communicate with others, which leads to depression. It is a mounting problem in today’s society and is often a major factor causing most adolescents’ psychological problems. Teenage depression can change and even threaten their life. Therefore, we should have knowledge to solve and prevent this problem.