We all think that childhood is the happiest phase of any person’s life, a time when you are free from all sort of worries and tension. It is quite difficult to understand child psychology. Mere sadness does not necessarily signify that a child is depressed but if this sadness starts interfering with the normal life of your child and affects his performance in different fields, it might be an indication that your child is suffering from depression.
 Children suffering from depression tend to exhibit very angry behaviour. They tend to break things, shout without any reason and get irritated over pity things.
 They experience a persistent feeling of sadness and hopelessness.
 Social withdrawal is another common symptom. Depressed kids find it very difficult to interact with others due to lack of self-confidence. Such children also face difficulty in making friends at school and tend to remain aloof.
 They experience sensitivity to rejection as they keep pondering upon the same matter for hours and feel that the other person does not love them.
 Although a lot of children tend to exhibit fussy eating habits but children suffering from depression tend to experience considerable increase or decrease in normal appetite which ultimately leads to malnutrition or obesity respectively. Binge eating, which is very common in teenagers and young adults, can also be seen in children.
 Their sleep cycle is disrupted. There is either a lack of sleep due to insomnia or excessive sleeping even during the day time.
 Depressed children tend to cry over pity matters. Vocal outbursts are common.
 Such children face difficulty in concentrating and remembering things. They lag behind in studies as they cannot recall things.
 Fatigue and low energy are also very closely related to childhood depression. Depressed children rarely go out and spend most of their free time indoors without any company.
 Stomach pain and headache are also quite common and these usually do not show any response to the medicines.
 They tend to feel guilty even when the fault is not theirs. Low self-esteem makes them believe that they are not worthy of any happiness.
 Some instances of juvenile suicides were also reported. Girls are more likely to attempt suicide than boys.

It is very important to look out for any of these symptoms and if you notice any of these, you should immediately consult a child psychologist. It is not necessary that a child suffering from depression shows all or any of these symptoms. In fact, sometimes, the symptoms might even go unnoticed. Any persistent change in behaviour, eating and sleeping patterns should not be taken lightly.

Recent studies have shown that around 3 per cent children and 8 per cent of adolescents tend to suffer from depression.

Depression can result from a variety of factors that include physical health, life events, family history of depression, genetic vulnerability, environmental factors and hormonal imbalances. Children are more likely to end up the problem if their parents also face the same problem. Family problems or chaotic family issues often lead to stress and anxiety and are one of the major causes of childhood depression.

Treatment for depression is possible provided parents cooperate with the specialists and ensure a happy and healthy environment at home. Psychotherapy is tried initially and medicines are recommended only if the therapies fail to give a positive result. Anti-depressants can only be taken under a doctor’s prescription. Prozac is one of the leading anti-depressants used for treating children below 12 years of age.

Some parents find it very difficult to come in terms with the fact that their child might be depressed. A lot of them might even put off seeking proper treatment. Although there are a lot of myths associated with depression, it is nothing to be ashamed of. The more you try to deny the fact, the more it is going to affect your child. Depression if not treated at the right time can become a part of your child personality thereby making the treatment more difficult.

Childhood depression can not only affect your child’s mental growth but also lead to various other issues as well. The diagnosis of the problem can be quite challenging even for a trained specialist. The symptoms may vary from one child to another. There can be many possible causes of childhood depression which include a family history of violence, physical abuse, sexual abuse, separation of parents, lack of proper care and attention or a sudden mental trauma (for instance, death of a close family member). Depression is also likely to affect children who suffer from any sort of physical disability. Reports have also shown slight traces of depression in kids suffering from obesity as well. Depression can be treated easily with proper care, affection and love. Beingparents it is our duty to ensure a healthy and happy environment at home and pay attention to our child’s needs. the best preschool franchise in Jalandhar conducts special programmes to spread awareness about the same.

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