Depression And Childhood Depression

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.

“Nearly 5 million children in the U.S. have some type of mental illness” (Goldberg). It is agreeable that there are many young children that deal with mental illness every day. Schools should be concerned for every student’s well being. Moreover, mental health is a part of a person’s overall “well being.” Therefore, schools need to make the mental health of students a stronger focus and implement plans to keep students mentally well and educated. To help create a positive, mental health aware environment where students feel open to seek help, high school students should be educated on how to be mentally healthy, be given a safe place to seek help, and be encouraged to monitor and maintain their mental health. Mental illness and mental health care need to be a more eminent priority in our society, starting with high schools.

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.

These children have been in an unstable environment, which can affect their ability to fully participate in society. Research shows that children have a high rate of physical development and mental health problems. They often have many mental and medical heath problems that are not helped. Pediatricians can serve to help make sure each child’s conditions and needs are

Depression can be dangerous. It is one of the most common mental health problems in the United States. It is reported that as many as one in every 33 children and one in eight adolescents may have depression (Center for Mental Health Services, 1998).

Imagine living in a world of pain, your mind is a dark, scary, and dangerous place. One scribbled note from the doctor changes everything. It can bring sweet relief, the lifting of the dark fog, or a sense of being in control again. But for some, it can spark a journey into an even darker, scarier territory. Should antidepressant drugs be prescribed for children suffering from depression? Today, kids everywhere suffer from depression. It affects everyone ages 3-18, boys and girls, no matter what race. There has been controversy whether or not children and teens should be prescribed antidepressants, although taking antidepressants makes depression worse for some people, antidepressants trigger suicidal thoughts, and the children should

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

Depression is a disorder that can happen to anyone. It occurs more frequently with age and it is not seen in children as much as it is seen in teenagers and adults. When an individual is depressed, they experience sadness, hopelessness, low energy, lethargy, sleep changes, loss of interest, appetite changes, agitation, and many other symptoms. This can happen for many reasons, even by being around someone who suffers from depression. In the article Biased Processing of Emotional Information in Girls at Risk for Depression, by Jutta Joormann, Lisa Talbot, and Ian H. Gotlib, it is mentioned how daughters are at high risk of becoming depressed if their mothers are suffering from Major Depression Disorder (MDD). A study was done to see if the cognitive theory was true and there were many tests that were done in order to prove its validity.

In teens signs of depression are much more irritable and in adults they feel a sense of sadness, body pains such as headaches or stomachaches, Unable to take criticism and withdrawal from some of their peers or even change their circle of friends and family members. In adults they seem to withdrawal themselves from the world.

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).

To begin with, let us make clear what is depression. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, depression is described as a serious mental disorder in which a person suffers long time of sadness, loneliness, and other negative feelings. Depression affects how you feel about yourself such as lack of energy and concentration, lose interest in work and hobbies, and have trouble of insomnia. Depression makes life more and more difficult and dispirited. More importantly, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), major depression is the leading cause of mental disorder for people in the United States aged 15 to 44. Recent estimates show that about 10 to 15% of children and teens experience depression at