Depression in children

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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 psychological factors, or a combination of the two.

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        The symptoms of childhood depression are similar to adults, with a few exceptions. Rather than having a depressed mood, children are much more likely to have an irritable mood. Adults often will not enjoy anything when they are depressed, but there are usually some activities children and adolescents will enjoy doing no matter how depressed they get. The child may feel worried and irritable. The similar affects are fatigue, loss of sleep or more than usual, significant weight gain or loss, feelings of worthlessness or guilt, persistent boredom, physical complaints, such as a headache or stomachache, and the inability to ...

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