Even young children can become stressed and depressed and it’s important not to overlook what could be mistaken as problem behaviors; here’s some help:

Behavioral symptoms

These array of Symptoms can vary according to age, but some common behavior-related clues for signs of Depression in children include: withdrawing from friends; crying for no apparent reason; irritability; signs of apathy; refusing to participate in usual activities; catastrophizing and inappropriate responses to events.

Cognitive signs

It can be difficult sometimes, since many symptoms could be mistaken for problems associated with either academic or social difficulties, but some common attributes present as a decrease in school performance; memory problems; inability to pay attention in class or noticeable issues with reading comprehension that weren’t there previously; feelings of hopelessness and negative view of self or others in the world.

Physical hints

These can include problems sleeping, either insomnia or sleeping too much; having low energy or fatigue without accompanying reasons; eating changes: having a poor appetite or overeating; and also physical complaints without a medication explanation, such as stomach issues, nausea, headaches, constipation etc…

Coexisting conditions

Oftentimes depression in children and adolescents is associated with other conditions i.e. anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, conduct disorder and oppositional defiant disorder. It is therefore important to recognize that amidst the issues of “acting out” there could be an underlying or coexisting problem with depression.

Other factors

Recognizing depression in children can be complex, as can be the cause. Some youth have a greater chance of developing depression if they have a parent with depression, if they’ve experienced a traumatic event or live in a highly stressful environment. Usually, most cases of major depression can last anywhere from seven and nine months.

code: bphopekids

sources: crowrivermedia.com