Once considered an illness affecting adults,
depression can strike in children as young as five or six.
Following a long and bitter divorce, seven
year old Madeline’s father disappeared into the night, leaving behind a young,
heartbroken daughter. While other children her age were happily out playing,
Madeline would lie on her bed after school and stare at the ceiling. She no
longer wanted to play with her friends, and was anxious and teary all the time.
Her mother, Tanya, was at her wits end. It turned out that Madeline is one of a
growing number of children suffering from childhood depression. In the past,
kids displaying signs of this debilitating disease were often diagnosed with
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or other behavioural problems. But
now, it’s widely recognised that as many as one in 10 children develop the
condition.
What causes depression?
Depression can be caused by biological
factors, by an imbalance in brain chemistry, explains Sydney-based clinical
child psychologist Dr Sally Wooding. But though there is a genetic link, it
doesn’t necessarily mean that a family history of depressive illness will lead
to a child falling victim to it, she adds. Traumatic events in a child’s life
such as the death of a loved one or parental separation can trigger the
condition.
Unfortunately, childhood depression is
becoming more commonplace. There can be many factors contributing to a child’s
distress: family difficulties, the birth of a sibling, or a change in social
situations such as a move to a new house or school. If you think your child is
suffering from depression, early intervention is vital. “You’ll not only
shorten the episode and lessen its severity, you can help prevent it from
coming back,” says Dr Wooding.
Sadness or depression?
Dr Sophie Havighurst, clinical child psychologist
and lecturer at the University of Melbourne, says sadness is a part of life.
It’s a naturally occurring emotion that tells us when things are not right, and
it’s not uncommon to occasionally feel down. Perhaps your child’s pet has died
or their best buddy has turned their back on them. Bad things happen to
everyone once in a while.
It’s normal, and with time your child should
be able to move on. When something bad happens most kids do bounce back fairly
quickly. But if the sadness isn’t going away, you could be dealing with deeper
issues, such as clinical depression. As Dr Havighurst says: “Depression
is where the sadness is out of proportion to the reality of what has happened –
it’s taken on a life of its own.”
Look for behavioural changes
Some children may tell you how they are
feeling, but many won’t – they may be embarrassed or ashamed. Younger children
may be unable to find the words to express their thoughts. If your child can’t
or won’t, it’s up to you to play detective. “Look for behavioural changes in
your child.
The child who was fun-loving may become
withdrawn or show disinterest in activities they once enjoyed,” says Dr
Wooding. “Other children may show uncharacteristic behaviours such as stealing
or bullying.” A word of caution: If your child is talking about death or
suicide, seek help immediately.
Who can I turn to for help?
It can be confusing and upsetting for parents
when their child is experiencing depression. Many parents feel frustrated and
powerless to help them. But you and your child don’t have to go it alone. There
are various options available. If you think your child may be suffering from
depression, your first port of call should be your GP, says Dr David Thomas, an
Adelaide-based paediatrician.
Your doctor will discuss your child’s symptoms
and how long they have persisted. “Your GP may also investigate whether there
is any underlying medical condition, as some diseases can manifest as the
symptoms of depression,” he says. After initial consultation with your GP, your
child could be referred to a child psychiatrist.
They may prescribe antidepressants, though
this is extremely rare for young children. Your GP may also refer you to a
paediatrician, or a child psychologist, and treatment could be in the form of
behaviour management. As Dr Wooding says: “Cognitive behaviour therapy has been
found to be extremely effective. It provides parents with problem-solving
strategies to help their child. Therapy can also explore self-esteem issues and
coping skills.”
Learning emotional resilience
To help your child cope with life’s challenges
and be emotionally competent in the face of adversity, it’s important to let
them know their feelings of sadness are normal. Allow them time to grieve over
their loss and reassure your child that their feelings of sadness won’t last
forever.
“Parents need to respond to situations in a
way that validates the child’s emotional experience of their world,” says Dr
Havighurst. Teach your child that it is ok to ask for help when they need it.
Encourage them to talk about their fears and concerns. Set aside some time each
day to talk about how their day was, and how they are feeling. Listen to your
child, and acknowledge all of their feelings – both good and bad.
Young children can find it difficult to find
the words to describe their feelings. “If they appear sad, ask them to describe
where the feeling is in their body, so they can talk about it – the idea is
that this reduces the burden the child is carrying,” says Dr Havighurst. Keep
in mind that children express their emotions in different ways.
Some will be able to talk through their
feelings, but many just need to let off steam by doing some physical activity,
such as kicking a football. As a parent, it’s important to be aware of how you
react to difficult situations. Kids learn coping skills by imitation soif you
tend to internalise your frustration and not vocalise your thoughts, then it’s
more likely that your child will, too.
Case study
Ten-year-old Steve suffered depression after
shifting schools. According to his mum, Dee, leaving his old school buddies
behind was really hard for him and he quickly became sad and withdrawn. He
chose to spend a lot of time just sitting in his bedroom. He would cry a lot
and was really emotional. Dee reassured her son that his sad feelings wouldn’t
last forever. “I talked to him about how moving was part of life, that people
do change schools, that he would make new friends and everything was going to
be OK,” she says.
But it was hard for Dee to see her child slip
into despair. It’s especially tough for kids like Steve to adjust to change and
make new friends as he suffers from asperger syndrome. “He lacks social skills,
and doesn’t tune into social indicators in people. He also finds it difficult
to read people, and how they feel towards him,” explains Dee. Steve is no
stranger to depression. When his parents separated some years ago he had
problems adjusting.
His mum took him to see a child psychologist,
who provided some useful tools to help him work through his feelings. They used
those strategies to help Steve this time around. “The times when Steve didn’t
feel like talking, I’d ask him to draw a picture of how he felt,” says Dee. “If
he was anxious before bed, he’d draw his feelings so he wouldn’t awake all
night stressing.” Six weeks later, through the loving support of his family,
Steve finally turned the corner.
“I kept working on building his
self-confidence, and helping him to connect with other kids,” says Dee. She
arranged for one of the kids in Steve’s grade to come over to play one
afternoon and the two became friends – and even started having sleepovers.
“Steve still sees his old buddies occasionally, but now he’s made new friends
he couldn’t be happier,” says Dee.
Some symptoms to look for:
•
Persistent feelings of
sadness.
•
Altered eating habits.
The child might overeat and put on weight, or lose interest in food and lose
weight.
•
Increased irritability,
anger and hostility towards others.
•
Frequent physical
complaints, such as tummy upsets or headaches.
•
Changes in sleeping
patterns.
•
The child may suffer from
insomnia, sleep too much, or experience frequent nightmares.
•
Show self-defeating,
self-loathing or self-destructive thoughts.
•
Developmental regression
such as bed-wetting.
•
Poor concentration and
performance at school.
“Teach your child that it is OK to ask for
help when they need it. Encourage them to talk about their fears and concerns”
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