Childhood Depression

Just like adults, children suffer from depression. If left untreated,
it can be devastating, resulting in school failure, alcohol or drug
abuse and even suicide.

Childhood depression is not just sadness that results from a sad
situation like the loss of a loved one or a pet. All children have bad
days when they feel low self-esteem, withdraw from others, or
seem overly sensitive and weepy. Depression that need professional
evaluation goes beyond normal reactions to upsetting situations.
Depression, however, may be triggered by traumatic events such as
divorce, death, school or social problems.

Childhood depression is an illness that affects the whole person and
the child may have difficulty functioning in many areas. Not only is
the child affected, but so are family and friends. Some signs of
depression in children include:

persistent sadness or helplessness
withdraw from friends or activities once enjoyed
feeling bored all the time
increased irritability, agitation, anger or hostility
loss of energy
changes in eating or sleeping habits
missed school or decline in school functioning
feelings of guilt or shame
frequent physical complaints
poor self-esteem
talk of death or suicide
drug or alcohol use

If you feel that your child may be experiencing depression, seek the
help of a mental health professional or pediatrician. Early diagnosis
and treatment are crucial in children with depression since learning,
social maturation and the development of life skills are part of
healthy childhood.

The information on this page is intended to help you identify
behaviors and signs that may be consistent with childhood
depression. Please talk to your doctor or your child’s doctor if you
recognize any of these symptoms. He or she can guide a proper
diagnosis and recommend the right treatment. It may be a good idea
to print the symptoms checklist to help guide your discussion with
your doctor.


According to the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry about 5% of children and teens are depressed at a level that requires treatment.

	According to the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, once a child has experienced an episode of depression, he or she is at greater risk that the general population of experiencing another episode within 5 years.

			According to the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, two-thirds of children with depression do not get the help they need.

		According to the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, the rate of suicide in 5-24 year olds has tripled since 1960, making it the leading cause of death in adolescents.