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 concentrate or make decisions. They may brood or lash out in anger as a result of the distress they are feeling. While this may seem on the surface to be a behavioral problem, it is really a symptom of an underlying emotional problem. It is very important to treat this illness and be aware of the symptoms, because it may only get worse as they get older. Because each child responds to depression differently, it is very possible that children might hurt themselves, or even commit suicide.
Children may not have the vocabulary to express their feelings like adults do, so they tend to show their depression more through their behavior. They might not even know that they are depressed, although they may be able to respond honestly if they are asked directly if they are sad. Depressed children often believe that there is nothing they can do to relieve their feelings of depression. They may not even recognize that it's not normal to feel this way. They may perceive that this is "just the way it is" because this is their only experience. They have no other feelings for comparison. This is another difference between depression in children and adults, because they are too young to realize that this is not a normal feeling for them to have.
Early diagnosis and medical treatment are essential for depressed children. If a child has been diagnosed with depression, the options of psychotherapy or medication are available. More and more, doctors are relying on medication to help the chemical imbalance to relieve depression, but the importance of psychotherapy cannot be discounted. Medication will help the child feel better, but it cannot cure the underlying cause of depression. The decision of whether to treat a child with medication is entirely individual; depending on the severity of the child's depression and what toll it will take on the child's life without successful treatment. Parents should educate themselves as much as possible in order to make an informed decision.
Therapy can help the child deal with his past in a healthy manner, and also in learning ways to cope with the very difficult process of growing up. During therapy, the psychologist works with the patient to help them recognize their dysfunctional thoughts, emotions, and behaviors and to change them to a more realistic perspective. There is another type of therapy, which focuses on interpersonal relationships and coping with conflict, and family therapy may also be useful in certain cases. Most professionals prefer therapy to medication, because children are too young to become dependant on such a thing, and it is much healthier. If the case of depression is more serious, and the child is severely depressed or suicidal, then medication would be recommended. Generally, a combination of both medication and therapy is considered to be the most helpful.
The decision of how long a child should stay on antidepressants is questionable. It depends on the severity of the depression, and the effects of the medication; whether or not it helps, and if there are any side effects. If 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.