Depression through the eyes of a child. Life is more important: how to recognize childhood depression. Diagnosis and treatment

Depression in children is one of the mental and emotional disorders that manifests itself in behavioral changes. Depression in childhood differs from that in adults. If a child is sad or irritable, this does not necessarily mean that he or she is depressed. This may be a normal emotional and psychological change that occurs during growth.

But if symptoms of depression in children become persistent and have a disruptive effect on the child's social activities, this may indicate that the child is depressed. The child’s behavior may become uncontrollable, he conflicts with others, misses school, which leads to a decrease in school performance. The child may start drinking alcohol, smoking, may associate with “bad company,” and may even reach the point of thoughts of suicide.

Depression can occur even in infants, but more often it occurs in children deprived of parental attention and in boarding schools and orphanages. Negative symptoms tend to accumulate, children cry constantly, they lack parental love and warmth. In severe cases of depression, illusions may appear. Typically, childhood depression lasts from 1 month to a year, often longer. In such cases, it is very important to prevent childhood depression and consult a psychiatrist for all family members.

Causes of depression in children

The exact causes of depression are unknown; several factors are probably decisive here - hereditary , physiological , psychological , social . For young children, separation from mother and family due to placement in kindergarten can be negatively impacted; for children over 5 years old, family scandals and parental divorce can have a negative impact. From the age of 7, school problems become the most important factors for depression - changing classes, bad attitude of the teacher, quarrels with classmates.

Most often, childhood depression manifests itself after emotional shocks - the loss of parents, other relatives, the death of a beloved pet, quarrels with friends, or from psychological pressure experienced.

The causes of depression in children can be complex, that is, manifested by impaired health, family relationships, various biochemical changes in the body, physical or sexual abuse.

Children whose parents suffer from depression are especially susceptible to depression. , and in families with healthy relationships and climate, children most often independently solve emerging psychological problems.

There are also seasonal depression associated with the body’s sensitivity to changes in climatic conditions. Symptoms of depression can be caused by taking certain medications - steroids, painkillers, which contain narcotic substances.

Symptoms of depression in children

Symptoms of childhood depression are different from those of adult depression. TO primary symptoms Depression in children includes: irrational fears, sadness, feelings of helplessness, sudden mood swings. Sleep disturbances (insomnia, nightmares), appetite disturbances, decreased social activity, a feeling of constant fatigue, a desire for self-isolation, low self-esteem, problems with memory and concentration, and thoughts of death and suicide may also occur.

Elements often appear non-standard behavior- a sharp, unreasonable reluctance to play favorite games, unjustifiably aggressive reactions are observed, children become disobedient and irritable, they “don’t like everything.” Anxiety in people suffering from depression is most severe in the evening and at night.

Typical symptoms of depression in children are somatic symptoms, complaints of ill health, various pains (dental pain, abdominal pain), which are not treated with medication. Panic and rapid heartbeat, nausea, chills, often accompanied by fear of death, may occur. Depression in children is most often disguised as anxiety, decreased performance at school, impaired communication with peers, and apathy. Such ailments can be like diverse , sharply replacing each other, and monotonous with one complaint.

The various symptoms of depression in children differ at different childhood ages. For example, the development of children in the first year of life is less often complicated by severe manifestations of depression. Young children's appetite decreases and they become more capricious.

Preschoolers most often experience motor activity disorders, changes in health - frequent headaches, upset stomach, as well as a desire for loneliness, sadness, lack of energy, fears of the dark, loneliness, and bouts of crying. In elementary school, children become withdrawn, timid, unsure of themselves, lose interest in activities and games, and complain of “sadness,” “boredom,” and “the desire to cry.”

The closer to adolescence, the more pronounced the symptoms of irritability, decreased mood, and sadness. With depression, there is increased tearfulness and a willingness to cry at the slightest reason. Children react with increased sensitivity to adults' comments. At school, children can become absent-minded, forget their notebooks at home, do not understand what they read, and easily forget what they have learned. There may be slowness and reluctance to attend sports activities.

Diagnosis of depression in children

If you suspect that your child has depression, you should take this into consideration. You need to be attentive and sensitive to the child’s state of mind, calmly talk to him about what worries him, talk frankly, do not shout or put pressure on him. If the child is worried guilt, explain to him that he is not responsible for what is happening. If the depressed state lasts longer than 3 weeks, you should contact child psychiatrist .

Many parents try to cope with the symptoms of the disease on their own - they treat the pain with pills, isolate the child from peers, and allow the child not to go to school. However, this is not true, it is a very complex thing, the child’s unformed psyche is still fragile and it is better to entrust the treatment to a specialist. The sooner you contact a specialist, the easier it will be for your child to get out of the painful state. For schoolchildren and adolescents suffering from depression, early diagnosis of depression in children is possible. The diagnosis is made based on a physical examination, psychological tests, and laboratory tests.

Treatment of depression in children

Treatment for depression includes sessions therapeutic psychotherapy, for prolonged depression, antidepressant medications prescribed by a doctor can be used, constant assessment of the condition, and psychiatric treatment is also possible. Psychotherapeutic treatments include: cognitive behavioral therapy aimed at developing in children a certain way of thinking, behavior, elements interpersonal therapy , focused on improving the child’s relationship with others, as well as family therapy , in which the whole family takes part. Childhood depression in very young children is treated using methods play therapy . Medications include the only antidepressant approved for use by children.

Atypical antidepressants are used less frequently ( ) and tricyclic antidepressants ( , desipramine ), which have a number of side effects. It is important to note that the safety of antidepressants when used by children has not been fully studied.

The treatment method that combines sessions has proven to be the most effective. cognitive behavioral therapy and regular use of fluoxetine. In very advanced cases of the disease, hospitalization is possible. It is necessary to show sympathy and understanding, distracting him from painful thoughts, switching to what is interesting to the child. Treatment of depression in children at home includes a balanced diet, regular exercise, and adequate sleep. It is necessary to communicate more with the child, listen to his problems, show sympathy, and set him up for the best.

The doctors

Medicines

Prevention of childhood depression

The risk of depression can be reduced by raising children in families with calm psychological situation, where relationships are balanced and kind. It is important to respect the child and his moods both in the family and in kindergarten and school. The child will feel better among people who understand and accept him for who he is. Unconditional parental love serves as the foundation for a child’s healthy psyche. It is necessary for the child to play sports, have some kind of hobby, and be able to realize himself in it. Long walks, proper nutrition, and healthy sleep are beneficial. You need to spend as much time as possible with him - talk, solve problems together.

Diet, nutrition for depression in children

List of sources

• N.M. Iovchuk, A.A. Northern. Depression in children and adolescents. Moscow, School-Press, 1999;
• Psychology of the Adolescent/Ed. A.A. Reana-SPb.: pram-EVROZNAK, 2003;
• Antropov, Yu.F. Neurotic depression in children and adolescents / Yu.F. Antropov. - M.: Medpraktika Publishing House, 2000.

is associated with adults as if they are the only ones entitled to mood disorders. Unfortunately, depressive disorders also affect children and adolescents.

Depression in a child manifests itself somewhat differently than depressive states in adults, so it is more difficult to diagnose in younger patients.

Symptoms of childhood depression are nonspecific and can be masked by the clinical pictures of other diseases.

Symptoms of depression in children

Depression can even occur in infants. This form is called anaclitic depression. As a rule, mood disorders develop after the sixth month of a baby’s life, most often in children who were sent to educational institutions or an orphanage, or were hospitalized for a long time after childbirth. The lack of emotional and physical closeness with the mother leads to the appearance of symptoms of childhood depression in the form of severe crying and screaming, lethargy and a “waxy” face of the baby.

From year to year...

Depression can also be recognized in children aged 6-7 years. How does depression manifest itself in early school age? Various types of fears may arise, problems at school, behavior that differs from developmental standards, significant mood swings - from extreme crying to complete calmness, indifference to one’s needs and desires, reluctance to play.

Depression in children can also be psychosomatic in nature and manifest itself in the form of various diseases, for example, abdominal pain, dizziness, shortness of breath, nausea, constipation, diarrhea. The child may suddenly stop growing or begin to lose weight or gain weight. Does not understand the meaning of life, avoids contact with peers and even thinks about death. Suicide attempts often occur.

Depression in children manifests itself in the silhouette and appearance of the child - neglect of personal hygiene, indifference to clothing, hunched back, circles under the eyes, sad expression, anxiety, muscle tension.

The baby may lock himself in his room, avoid movement, and have trouble sleeping. Loses contact with environment, parents, brothers and sisters, classmates. He becomes apathetic, lethargic, and constantly feels unwell.

What are the most commonly observed symptoms of childhood depression?

• Inability to feel joy, sadness, depression.
• Lack of smile.
• Loss of previous interests.
• Giving up your favorite games.
• Apathy, psychosomatic slowdown, decreased vital activity.
• Chronic fatigue, lack of energy.
• Feeling of inner anxiety and restlessness.
• Physical illnesses such as palpitations, abdominal pain and headache.
• Extremely low self-esteem, feelings of inferiority and hopelessness.
• Sleep disturbances, insomnia or excessive sleepiness during the day.
• Decreased appetite and body weight, refusal of favorite foods.
• Problems with concentration and memory, difficulties in school, worsening grades.

Depression in teenagers

The term “depression” has become entrenched in the consciousness of society exclusively as a condition of an adult; however, both children and adolescents experience depressive states.

In adolescence, it very often leads to suicide attempts. Quarrel with parents or blackmail is not a demonstration of force, but a manifestation of duality of feelings. Ignoring a child’s words about the meaninglessness of life, a bad mood or unwillingness to act leads to serious consequences - the death of the child, which could have been avoided.

Why do children suffer from depression?

There are many reasons. Experts usually identify genetic, biological, social, psychological and neural factors. Children can become depressed after the loss of a loved one - father, mother, brother, sister, friend, beloved animal.

Depression can occur as a result of a change in place of residence, parental divorce, poverty, unmet emotional needs of the child, etc. There are frequent cases of depression of a non-reactive nature, i.e. not a consequence of a traumatic event.

Most young patients suffer from endogenous depression, which is caused by biological factors, for example, disorders at the level of neurotransmitters. Sometimes children inherit their parents' affective disorders when the mother or father complains of depression, creating with their behavior an image of a negative attitude towards life and the world.

How does depression occur in children?

Until recently, doctors believed that preschoolers were too mentally underdeveloped to experience symptoms of depression. Unfortunately, it turns out that they still can.

Depressive disorders In their case, they are determined genetically, and for their appearance, often no traumatic event is even required. Because symptoms can differ significantly from the generally accepted characteristics of depression in adults, making a diagnosis is challenging and vital to effective coping.

Dr. Joan Clube, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Washington, DC, has been researching depression for 20 years. Already in the mid-80s of the 20th century, doctors found that some children going to school already had clinical symptoms of depression.

Over the past 10 years, researchers have concluded that symptoms of depression may be much younger than previously thought. Fortunately, this phenomenon is not common. From the analysis it follows that the problem may affect 1-2% of preschool children.

What causes symptoms to appear at such a young age? Scientists believe that this is not necessarily associated with stress in the child's life. Depression in children is most often a hereditary disease that develops independently of traumatic or unpleasant events.

By nature, children are prone to frequent mood swings and therefore, identifying symptoms requires closer observation. Symptoms may come and go, however, if the process lasts longer than two weeks or becomes significantly worse, you should contact a specialist.

Treatment of childhood depression

How to cope with depression in a child

When you see something worrying happening to your baby, sit down and calmly talk about his troubles. Spend more time with him than usual, observe and find out why he is so sad and depressed. What's bothering him? What can't he handle?

When your child blames himself for something that is not his fault, reassure him that he is not responsible for it. Don't yell at your child because of bad grades at school or difficulty concentrating. Do not underestimate a child's long-term poor health. When you don’t know how to cope with a problem on your own, seek help from a psychologist or psychiatrist. You can talk about this topic with a psychologist or school teacher.

If the baby suffers from clinical forms of depression treatment must be started. As a rule, it is based on pharmacotherapy in the form of antidepressants and psychotherapy. Only severe forms of depression with suicide attempts require hospitalization. However, sometimes children are admitted to a psychiatric hospital when there is a lack of understanding of the disease and lack of support for the child from the parents.

Psychological intervention, as a rule, gives fairly quickly visible results and, above all, reduces the likelihood of “complications” of depression in the form of feelings of inferiority, decreased immunity or suicidal thoughts. It is worth noting that the effects of psychotherapy largely depend on the attitude of the parents towards the sick child.

The child was always white and fluffy, but suddenly he turned bad. He was sweet and friendly, but he became angry and hysterical. I was almost an excellent student, but slipped into twos and threes. He was so positive, but he became a whiner. It seems that the dwarves came, took away a good child, and brought back some nasty changeling.

For a long time, it was believed that children did not experience any depression at all—that only a mature personality could respond to difficult life circumstances with depression. Then doctors found out that depression also occurs in children, but is different from depression in adults.

Childhood depression is not easy to recognize and diagnose because it hides behind other, more pronounced problems - depending on the age of the child. How younger child, the more difficult it is to recognize depression behind whining, complaints “stomach hurts” and “legs hurt.”

The child eats poorly, sleeps poorly, and cries. In older preschoolers, fears, restlessness, anxiety, and sometimes aggression come to the fore. Among schoolchildren, the most noticeable problems are poor academic performance, reluctance to learn, short temper and quarrelsomeness.

Adults are most often unable to understand what is happening to the child. He seems to them either sick or capricious. They explain his condition by laziness, rudeness, and promiscuity. Parents think that the child has become insolent and grab the belt when they should be holding the head. Some families only reach specialists when the child begins to talk about suicide.

Where does it come from?

Childhood is considered to be a happy and carefree time, and children's problems seem trivial and easily overcome to adults. But children, just like adults, experience stress and grief - but, unlike adults, they do not yet have either life experience or the ability to cope with them.

Childhood depression, just like adult depression, does not have a single cause. Scientists identify several different prerequisites.

Firstly, these are biological factors (including congenital disturbances of the neurobiochemical balance in brain synapses, changes in certain brain structures, disturbances of biological rhythms, etc.)

Secondly, there are genetic factors (hereditary predisposition - relatives of children diagnosed with depression often have depression, bipolar disorder or other mental illnesses).

Thirdly, psychosocial prerequisites: first of all, mental trauma. In infants – separation from the mother (hospital, sanatorium, shelter, orphanage); for children over 4 years old - scandals in the family, divorce of parents, death of loved ones and the birth of brothers or sisters; for schoolchildren - school; for everyone - disasters, wars, difficult socio-economic changes. The cause of depression can be a serious illness or an age crisis.

Some scientists indicate that one of the prerequisites for the appearance of depression is personal characteristics and ways of responding to stress: some children easily adapt to a difficult situation, while others find it unbearable.

What does it look like

Clinical criteria for major depression (or unipolar, as opposed to bipolar disorder with alternating manic and depressive stages), according to the diagnostic and statistical manual, include depressed mood (feeling of emptiness, tearfulness, in children and adolescents - increased emotional excitability); decreased interest and pleasure in all areas of life; changes in weight and appetite; insomnia, drowsiness; agitation or lethargy; weakness and loss of energy; feelings of failure and unreasonable guilt; inability to think and concentrate; thoughts of death, suicidal thoughts.

American psychiatrists warn: depressed children, especially if they are over 12 years old, may start using alcohol and drugs.

Depressed children often complain that everything hurts – their head, stomach, heart, arms, legs. Some have everything at once, some have only one thing, but always. Some say it is difficult to breathe, impossible to breathe. They begin to get sick a lot, and very often before contacting a psychologist or psychiatrist, they are examined by different doctors for several months.

Many “fall into childhood” - in fact, they return to previous stages of development: they lose mastered skills, begin to play with long-abandoned toys, and return to once-loved books for little ones. Enuresis and encopresis may occur. Some begin to pretend to be babies: lisp, ask to be held, and offer to play children's games.

Tearfulness, fears, whining, stickiness and importunity - on the one hand, children are irritated and rude to adults, on the other hand, they want confirmation of love from them - these are also signs of depression. “Children, like adults, may have a pronounced circadian rhythm of endogenous depression: in the morning they are lethargic and boring, and in the evening the level of anxiety and irritability increases, and motor control increases,” says clinical psychologist Natalya Naumenko.

Children often think about the meaninglessness of life, about death. Someone is afraid for themselves and is looking for all possible sores, someone is afraid for their mother: will she get hit by a car, will she die? Some are terrorists, thieves, robbers. Someone is worried about the fate of the world: whether there will be a war, whether they will bomb us, whether humanity will die from overpopulation or a cosmic catastrophe.

The most insignificant reason can cause wild hysteria. Domestic psychiatrists N. Iovchuk and A. Severny describe attacks of excitement with crying, uncontrollable movement, screaming, tears: “At the same time, children’s complaints are limited to the laconic: “I can’t do this anymore,” “there is water and fire in my chest,” accompanied by the same type of lamentations or screams ”, these authors write.

“At the moment of uncontrollable movement, children smash dishes, break toys, tear clothes, jump out onto the balcony, into the yard and defiantly scream shrilly, roll on the floor, even chew chair legs. At the same time, they shout that they can’t live anymore, that they won’t live, that it’s better to die, and often they attempt to commit suicide. Such states last from 10-15 minutes to 2 hours and are replaced by motor retardation with silence and low availability.

Equally short-lived are states with painful bodily sensations and fear of death, occurring with motor restlessness, and less often with immobility.”

Experts always urge that any promises to commit suicide be taken with the utmost seriousness.

For some reason, there is a myth that a person who says he will commit suicide is only scaring and will never do it. Another problem with children is that they often do not have a sense of the line between a real suicide attempt and a make-believe attempt, there is no clear understanding of the irreparability of their actions - this appears only in adolescence.

It seems to the child that he will be able to watch from somewhere from the outside how they mourn him, how everyone repents that they were unfair to him... This is exactly the case when it is better to play it safe.

Signs of suicidal behavior in children:

• Numerous symptoms of depression (changes in appetite, sleep, activity).
• Social isolation, including family isolation.
• Talk about suicide, hopelessness and helplessness.
• Aggression or unwanted behavior (including sexual behavior).
• Increased risk appetite.
• Frequent accidents.
• Alcohol and drug use.
• Fixation on death and negative topics.
• Conversations about death and dying.
• Inability to cry or decreased emotionality.
• Giving away your things.

What then?

A depressive episode in a child without treatment lasts on average 9 months. This is the duration of an entire academic year. Children usually fall sharply behind their peers academically and drop out of social life. In fact, they lose an entire year of life.

Moms tell

Here are some stories from life (names of mothers and children have been changed). In all cases, the diagnosis of depression was made by a doctor.

Elizaveta, Yegor’s mother: “It all started in the fifth grade. He seemed to be having difficulty coping with the new demands of school. He said that he didn’t want to go to school, that he wouldn’t go, that his stomach hurt. He vomited several times before school. Then he began to say that his legs could not walk. In general, it began to seem to me that this was a strange, unfamiliar child: mine never slammed doors or screamed hysterically. Conversations with him turned into walking through a minefield: you never know what he will react to and where he will explode. He began to have difficulty falling asleep at night, cried, shouted that he would not get enough sleep, that he would not be able to go to school in the morning, and as a result he stopped sleeping completely. He had a headache all the time and began to have severe migraines.

I almost stopped studying - I got two and three grades in all subjects, one notebook for all my lessons, I didn’t do my homework, after school I hung out with my friends in other people’s yards. Friends said - maybe he had started adolescence? But what is the teenage age of a little ten year old?

Then it became completely scary: he started talking about the meaninglessness of life, about the fact that he didn’t want to live, that everything around him was just a dream...

He did nothing, sat at home and played with his cars, which he loved to play with when he was two years old. He refused to wash, get his hair cut, brush his teeth, comb his hair, or change his clothes. He complained that he could not read - the letters did not form words, did not understand the meaning of what he read, could not solve the problem because he did not understand what it was about. It was only then that I realized what was wrong with him - and ran with him to the doctor.”

Tatiana, Anton’s mother: “Two of Anton’s classmates bullied him right during breaks in the corridor, under the teacher’s nose, humiliated him. And at that time he also had an exacerbation of bronchial asthma. The result is a complete loss of working capacity, loss of all school skills, severe fatigue, drowsiness and, at the same time, very poor sleep; noticeable decrease in self-esteem, fears, wrote several times at night.

The exacerbation of asthma could not be stopped for a long time, an infection developed, resulting in pneumonia. I assumed depression and went with him to a clinical psychologist and neurologist. The first took him to classes, the second prescribed treatment. It helped, he was released, but then he recovered for more than two years, and to this day it all echoes with self-doubt.”

Galina, Seryozha’s mother: “It all started in the fourth grade, in the fall. Children with communication difficulties are probably prone to this in principle.

In conversations before going to bed, he began to express fears for his life and especially for mine. There was a global fear of death. He cried. A teacher at school noticed a sharp decline in academic performance and worsening behavior.

Something had to be done to help the child. The doctor found out everything. The treatment helped quickly, and that was the end of it. Perhaps because, as the doctor said, we caught depression at the very beginning stage.”

Marina, German’s mother: “My son turned 13, he went to seventh grade. Almost simultaneously, the father left the family and the grandmother, whom the son loved very much, died. The son was lying on the sofa hugging the cat and doing nothing. He built houses from pillows and blankets. Lost appetite. Dizziness and lightheadedness appeared.

My son started leaving school after two or three lessons. I didn’t study my lessons at all, and I explained this by laziness, lack of willpower: “I want, I will, I’m going to - but tomorrow, today I can’t.” Then I became seriously ill. While I was in the hospital, my son lived with relatives, refused to wash or brush his teeth, skipped school, lay in bed, and cut off all social contacts. Treatment was prescribed, but it did not help much, although sleep and appetite were restored. The whole school year is gone. Now he is studying at home, teachers come, but he cannot study his unloved subjects for more than 40 minutes, he immediately gets headaches and lightheadedness.”

School as a reason

After the age of seven, school becomes the main cause of childhood depression. The most typical problems are difficult adjustment to the first and fifth grades, problems in relationships with classmates, school bullying and unprofessional behavior of the teacher.

Iovchuk and Severny in the article “On the problem of didactogenic disorders in schoolchildren”, published in 2007, write: “In the last 10 years, among the children we have observed, there has been a steady increase in severe and protracted depressive conditions, definitely associated with schooling, namely with the inadequacy of educational measures, unfair attitude of the teacher, including underestimation of grades, the use of “neuroticizing” tests (primarily the reading speed test), psychological and physical violence.”

The teacher may not humiliate the student personally: the child watches how the teacher communicates with the class and is afraid of public humiliation. The child begins to get sick, complains of stomach pain, nausea, he vomits before school, he refuses to go there under all possible pretexts... Fears worsen, cognitive impairments appear (children have difficulty concentrating, it’s hard for them to think, they complain about their own dullness), studying becomes difficult. impossible...

The hardest thing is the reaction of parents to children's problems. Parents require their child to study well. Parents work with him additionally, increase control, deprive the child of pleasure - and all this increases depression.

On one parental Internet resource, one mother complained: “I have already deprived him of a computer, TV and walks, the New Year was canceled, and he didn’t deserve a birthday present either. I started using VKontakte from my phone, and I took my phone too. Now he lies on the couch all day and still does nothing. How else can I punish him?

Sometimes parents resort to physical punishment; The consequences for a depressed child can be dire.

Iovchuk and Severny write: “In correctional work, the participation of parents is extremely important, who, as a rule, do not understand the nature and depth of the child’s mental disorders, at first refuse to accept psychiatric, especially psychopharmacological therapy, and tend to accuse the child of “simulating”, laziness, hooliganism, etc. .P.

If parents behave incorrectly, depression becomes even more protracted and leads to deep school disadaptation (incomplete school, the need to transfer to an external school, an individual education school for children with poor health and disabled children). However, with persistent psychotherapeutic work with parents, it is most often possible to involve them in the psychocorrectional process in the interests of the sick child. Which, unfortunately, can almost never be said about teachers.”

Treat adults better!

When I shared the above-cited article on social networks, it caused a storm of indignation among readers: this is not a child, these are adults who need to be treated!

In fact, teacher harshness, often turning into cruelty, and parental perfectionism combined with anxiety, high demands placed on the child, and a tense environment at home are the very factors that cause depression. It really seems like: normalize the situation at school and in the family - and you don’t need any pills.

Almost all children and adolescents experience some symptoms of depression, and up to 5% of children and 10-20% of adolescents may experience serious depression,” write American psychiatrists Mash and Wolf. What is this – to treat everyone?

No: in some cases, normalization of the situation is really sufficient. But some children may need both work with a therapist and treatment. How do you understand when you need a doctor and when you can get by with the help of a psychologist?

“It is imperative to consult a doctor in cases where a child experiences not only changes in mood, worries, random complaints about well-being, but also real somatic problems: sleep disturbances, appetite, weight fluctuations, when he complains of pain in the arms and legs , stomach,” says clinical psychologist Natalya Naumenko. – Enuresis and encopresis also indicate neurotization on an organic background, and with this you also need to go to the doctor.

Sudden changes in behavior should be alarming: when a child becomes irritable, aggressive, or when he develops fears.

Unfortunately, childhood depression is poorly diagnosed, and even if parents suspect a problem, the doctor may not confirm their suspicions. Sometimes just normalizing the situation is enough.

Here is a case from my practice: a wonderful, gifted four-and-a-half-year-old boy was brought in with complaints of hysterics and irritability. While I was testing the child, his answers always contained the motive “mom will scold”, “the boy is afraid that his mother will scold him”... It turned out that the boy had recently had a sister, and the father abandoned his mother with the newborn in his arms. All of his mother's irritation went to the boy - his mother read morals to him, like an adult. In addition, for Last year His beloved and loving grandmother died, and in kindergarten there was a teacher who beat him, which he did not tell his mother.

When mom realized what was happening, she was very scared. She is going through a very difficult period in her life, but she loves the child - and I am sure that in this case the normalization of the situation is quite enough, and in two or three months the child will return to normal. But if this does not happen, this is a reason to see a doctor.”

“Everyone told me – I’m crazy, the baby is on pills! Tablets are harmful! – says Elizaveta, Yegor’s mother. -But I turned to a psychologist who said: everything is fine with your relationships, you should see a neurologist and a psychiatrist. For six months I tried to solve the problem with love and care, but my son was getting worse. The child forgot how to read, stopped sleeping, began to argue that not living is better than living...

Pills are harmful, yes. But not living is more harmful.

After four months of treatment, the former cheerful boy returned. But we had to help him with his studies for another two years - everything was so neglected.”

“I created a therapeutic and protective regime for Anton at home,” says Tatyana. – Calm environment, completely removed the TV and computer, baths, walks (when asthma and pneumonia became better). I didn’t start studying so as not to get out of the rhythm of life, but we studied on my knees, wrote hand in hand, read to him myself, talked a lot about different topics in general.

The most difficult thing for him was going to school after sick leave, he was desperately afraid. And for me the most difficult thing was not to lose my temper when communicating with the school, and not to strangle the teacher: the rage simply burned me out. It was this rage that helped get the administration to force the teacher to help the child and not drown him.

The parents in the class helped a lot, encouraging the children to help their son. The school psychologist also helped a lot; she worked with the class, separately with the instigators of bullying. The culprits brought him a public apology in the end. The teacher quit at the end of the year. But there are still echoes of the problems now, although three years have passed – mainly a decrease in self-esteem.”

Life is more important than school. This is probably the main thing that parents tormented by responsibility, guilt and school should remember.

How parents can help

The American Academy of Pediatrics advises:

What to do if your child is depressed

• Talk to your child about his feelings, about what is happening at home and school, about what worries him.
• See your doctor. Depression can be caused by medical problems. The doctor may recommend psychotherapy or prescribe treatment.
• Consider any thoughts of suicide as an emergency that requires immediate help.

Set up healthy image life

• Ensure your child eats healthy food, gets enough sleep, exercises, and has positive interactions at school and at home.
• Limit screen time and encourage physical activity, especially with others.
• Spend time alone with your child, praise, show the child what his strengths are - all this strengthens the bond with the child.

Provide your child with physical and mental safety

• Talk to your child about bullying at school. Bullying is one of the main causes of mental problems in children.
• Remember that your child may be experiencing grief or loss. Seek help if grief persists. If you are experiencing grief yourself, seek help for yourself and additional support for your child.
• Reduce stress. Make short-term changes in the amount of homework, help around the house, and extracurricular activities.
• All weapons, medications (including over-the-counter medications), and alcohol must be securely locked.

Educate others

• Your child is not making up symptoms.
• What looks like laziness and arrogance may be symptoms of depression.
• Discuss family history of depression: this helps to better understand what is going on.
• Teach your child to think and cope with tasks.
• Help your child relax through exercise and creativity. Play to his strengths.
• Talk to your child and listen to him with love and support. Teach your child to describe his feelings.
• Teach your child to look at problems more positively.
• Divide problems and tasks into smaller parts so that the child copes with them successfully.

Create a Security Plan

• Follow your treatment plan. Make sure your child attends therapy and takes prescribed medications.
• Treatment helps, but not immediately - sometimes after a few weeks. A depressed child may not see changes in their mood right away.
• Think about who you can call when you feel bad.
• Don't overlook risk factors for suicide (talking about suicide on the phone or the Internet, giving away your belongings, thoughts of death, drug and alcohol use).
• Keep at hand the phone numbers of your child’s doctor, his psychotherapist, the local emergency psychological care center, and the psychiatric emergency room.

It becomes strange to consider the issue of depression in a child. Childhood is considered to be the most carefree and enjoyable period of life. In fact, there are many situations that confirm the presence of childhood depression. There are many causes, as well as treatment methods that help eliminate the symptoms and signs of the disease.

In rare cases, we are talking about a child’s genetic predisposition to depression. Often, a depressed mood is a consequence of some factors that are noted in the child’s life. This allows you to quickly cure children from depressive disorder, which negatively affects their academic performance, mental development, formation, etc.

Parents play the most important role in treating children for depression. In most cases, psychologists note an error in parental education or behavior, which leads to childhood. Since kids are not able to resist their mothers and fathers, it is adults who must take responsibility for creating comfortable conditions for their children.

A favorable environment in the family is the key to the healthy development of a child, despite the fact that in the big world he will face dangers and unpleasant situations.

What is depression in a child?

Regardless of what is considered a disorder that manifests itself in children, it is the same mental disorder as in adults. What is depression in a child? This is a psychological disorder that manifests itself in the form of emotional disturbances. Inattentive parents and teachers may mistake depression for laziness, selfishness, bad character, or pessimism. In fact, what others see is only a symptom of unrecognized depression.

The depressive state is not understood by the child himself. He is not yet familiar with it and cannot independently understand what harm it causes him. This is why the responsibility for identifying and seeking psychological help shifts to parents and teachers/educators. It is adults who are in constant contact with the child who must recognize depression in his bad mood.

The sooner treatment for childhood depression is started, the faster the child will return to a healthy mental state. The process is reversible. And it happens as quickly as the parents provided the child with psychological help. Parents can receive preliminary consultation on recognition and support on the psychological help website. In some cases, parents can provide the child with the very support that will be enough for the child’s recovery.

Today, psychotherapists have numerous techniques to rid a child of depression. In most cases, only psychotherapy without medication is prescribed.

Many readers may not believe that children develop depressive disorders. This misconception puts their children in a dangerous position, since the kids themselves are not able to understand what is happening to them and ask for help, and adults do not believe in the depressive state that the child is developing. Inappropriate parental behavior allows depression to worsen, which soon results in such natural symptoms as:

1. Yearning.
2. Decreased activity.
3. Avoiding contacts.
4. Lethargy.
5. Sadness.
6. Weakening interests.

The older a child gets, the more he masks his depression in various ways, since adults do not perceive it adequately and may even punish him for it. Developed here:

• Failure in school.
• Aggressive behavior.
• Closedness.
• Anxiety.
• Disturbed relationships with peers.
• Various fears and complexes.

Causes of depression in a child

Parents may be interested in the question of why a child develops depression. Let's try to identify common reasons:

1. Unfavorable family environment in which the baby cannot fully develop: single-parent family, conflicts in the family, authoritarian parenting or overprotection, complete lack of parental attention and sex education. For example, a child cannot express himself because he is constantly limited in everything, cannot discuss his puberty, or does not have the opportunity to receive support from adults.
2. Genetic or congenital pathologies: encephalopathy, brain damage at birth, fetal hypoxia during the prenatal period, intrauterine infections, asphyxia at birth, etc.
3. Physiological and hormonal changes. We are talking about adolescence, when girls begin to menstruate and boys have nocturnal emissions. Hormones make children more aggressive. This is where the team becomes important. If a child does not have good relationships with peers, this makes him think about his own inferiority.
4. Failure in school. Children are still concerned about the area to which they devote a lot of time.
5. Frequent moves. This can lead to the child having no friends.
6. Narrowing interests and communication to sitting at the computer. The Internet provides many opportunities where a child can be whoever he wants. However, this significantly limits his physical and mental development, when he has little actual communication with people, does not know the world around him, etc.
7. Seasonality of mood. Children may also experience autumn or spring depression, which can be associated with unpleasant events that occur during this period in their lives.
8. Stress. Children face many stressful situations that are different from adults. These include divorce of parents, conflicts in the family, death of a loved one, betrayal of a friend, etc.
9. The collapse of illusions and ideals. Often parents surround their child with various false ideas about the world, for example, they talk about the existence of Santa Claus. If a child is faced with a situation where his beliefs do not apply, he may become depressed. Stress from the collapse of ideals and illusions causes shock.
10. Genetic predisposition. It is observed in families where parents suffer from major depressive disorders.
11. Mental trauma or overstrain.
12. Physiological causes: headaches, metabolic disorders, allergies, improper sugar consumption, eating disorders, stomach or thyroid diseases, mononucleosis.

Symptoms of depression in children

Depression in children manifests itself with the same triad of symptoms as in adults:

• Little activity.
• Decreased thinking.
• Depressed mood.

You should be attentive to your child's behavior. Any changes should be noted. If symptoms of depression occur, seek help immediately. Please note the following:

1. The child suddenly gains or loses weight.
2. The child is in a depressed mood most of the day, sad, depressed, and feels empty.
3. The child's behavior is marked by inhibition or agitation.
4. The child has ceased to be interested in previous activities and hobbies.
5. The child has a sleep disorder: he either cannot fall asleep for a long time, or falls asleep quickly, but often wakes up.
6. The child seems tired and powerless.
7. The child does not touch food, which is noted in several episodes.
8. The child looks preoccupied, guilty, and shy.
9. The child becomes inattentive, absent-minded, and has difficulty thinking.
10. The child loses the desire to communicate.
11. When communicating with a child, ideas and topics about suicide, death, etc. arise.

In the morning, the child can feel good and cheerful. However, during the day the mood drops, which is very noticeable in the evening hours. The child complains of various problems in relationships with classmates, friends, performance at school, etc. He may talk about having headaches. If his mood improves, it does not last long.

The child's mobility also decreases. He prefers to lie or sit in one position. His speech becomes quiet, short, without using a variety of words. It is difficult for him to answer questions, think, even fantasize.

Thoughts of suicide arise only after a long time has passed since the onset of depression. The danger is that the child may try to carry out his idea, especially if some traumatic event occurs in his life, which will become a trigger.

Signs of depression in children

• Difficulty communicating with other children and loved ones.
• Changing eating and sleeping habits.
• Difficulty performing responsibilities and daily activities.
• Difficulty communicating with elders.
• The appearance of low self-esteem.
• Poor performance and absenteeism from school.
• Irritation and anger.
• Forgetfulness and inattention.
• Addiction to alcohol or drugs.
• Loss of interest in previous hobbies and socializing with friends.
• Feelings of guilt and self-doubt.
• Pessimism and constant sadness.
• Lethargy, lack of enthusiasm.
• Inappropriate response to criticism.
• The appearance of toothache or headache.
• The appearance of hopelessness, depression, helplessness, anxiety.

The appearance of panic attacks and hallucinations against the background of insomnia can lead to the last stage of depression - suicide. If the child does not receive help, then irreparable things may happen. Parents should be aware of the following:

1. Adolescents from 15 to 24 years old and children from 5 to 14 years old are at risk.
2. In a state of depression, the occurrence of thoughts of suicide increases 30 times.
3. Before committing suicide, a person suddenly becomes very cheerful: this suggests that the decision to kill himself has already been made, which relieves tension.
4. Teenagers who use alcohol and drugs are more prone to suicide.

In addition to signs of depression, parents should pay attention to communication with their child. This can significantly reduce depression and its manifestations. If you need help, you can start by contacting the school psychologist. Otherwise, specialized psychiatric help will be needed.

Treatment of depression in children

Severe depressive conditions are treated exclusively in an inpatient setting under the supervision of a psychiatrist. Only mild forms of depression in children can be treated at home. How exactly this will happen should be controlled by a child psychologist, who can prescribe Adaptol, a mood-improving medicine that relieves drowsiness, increases appetite and mood, and relieves somatic symptoms.

Other medications may include:

• Tenoten is a homeopathic medicine.
• Antidepressants that are prescribed only by a doctor.

The child continues to lead a normal lifestyle, while undergoing treatment. Does he go to school, go shopping, do household chores, etc. The most important thing here is the behavior of the parents, who must create favorable conditions for the child in their family?

1. Accept the child's needs and opinions.
2. Increase his self-esteem.
3. Allow you to express your feelings.
4. Learn to solve various difficult problems.
5. Teach constructive influence in difficult situations.
6. Do not overtire yourself with various tasks and works.
7. Allow to rest.
8. Allow them to walk in the fresh air.

Together with a psychologist, the child learns to solve his problems that bother him. His emotional background and general mood are restored through various methods: art therapy, music therapy, role-playing games, etc. It will be useful to take group classes, where the psychologist will work with the child and his parents.

Bottom line

Childhood depression is no less dangerous than adult depression. The result can be sad if parents ignore the condition of their child - we are talking about suicide. In order not to lead to a fatal ending, you should pay attention to communication and activities with your child.

Parents should be aware that one in 33 children develops depression. Children who are in a traumatic situation, under psychological pressure or have an attention disorder become prone to it. After recovery from deep depression, a child may fall into it again if a corresponding stressful situation arises within 5 years.

Yes, yes, yes, you were not mistaken - a depressed child, not an adult, although we all believe that depression is only the lot of adults. There is no reason to be depressed in childhood. However, our opinion is wrong. And our children have plenty of reasons for depression, and especially lately, when mothers and fathers are under endless time pressure - they can’t find even a minute to communicate with a child who also has time pressure. It is difficult for him to keep up with what is necessary, to try everything, to cope with everything, to understand everything, to know everything and to succeed in everything... And at the same time he still feels that his parents have no time for him.

As a matter of fact, a lack of time, but of parental affection, tenderness and love, is also one of the main causes of childhood depression, as well as many other child problems.

The word “depression” itself comes from the Latin word depressio - suppression, oppression. Indeed, by depression we usually mean a state of intense melancholy and deep sadness, prolonged anxiety, sadness, boredom, and even sudden hopelessness. But isn't this typical for a child? Even the fairy-tale donkey Eeyore, an old friend of Winnie the Pooh, was constantly sad and saw everything only in shades of gray.

However, our negative experiences do not always mean depression. Sometimes it’s just a short-term change in mood to some adequate situation, for example, unforeseen troubles. But when we are talking about obvious depression, short-term depression can turn into long-term depression and despondency will turn into your child’s calling card. And despondency is the standard of hopeless sadness. Hopeless sadness? Who has a child? A child who lives only in hopes and is our hope. Surely something is wrong here. It’s too early, don’t you think, that we are making this diagnosis. Even if not a diagnosis, but simply the state of the child’s soul.

However, all kinds of depression have recently become increasingly diagnosed not only in people with a mature psyche and a formed “ego,” but also in infants. Nonsense... But not really.

Experts now even diagnose depression that develops in a child after his mother is forced to wean him from the breast and stops breastfeeding, long before his family celebrates it.