Home And Family Blog

‘Child Depression’ has been identified as one of the most significant social and family problems that has been going upwards in recent years. Though this problem is crashing the lives of many children gradually, people can hardly realize its existence. Seriousness of this problem can be received from a paper by Irina V. Sokolova from “Depression in children: what causes it and how we can help” (www.personalityresearch.org/papers/sokolova.html). According to Sokolova, one in five children has an apparent mental, emotional or behavioral disorder. Also one in 10 may suffer from a serious emotional disturbance. One in every 33 children and one in eight adolescents may have depression. Not surprisingly, suicide is the third leading cause of death for 15 to 24 years olds and the sixth leading cause of death for 5 to 14 year olds. The number of attempted suicides is even higher. Sadly, seventy percent of children do not get proper mental health treatment. So let us discuss the causes and ways to deal with it.

Causes of Depression: -

1. Children with working parents do not get proper parental care. So they grow up in lonely environments bereft of adequate love and care. These situations make them withdraw from normal activities, making them introvert and loners. They might also suffer from inferiority complex due to these.

2. The psychology of the children is greatly hampered by parental conflicts like divorce.

3. Also, delinquency might become a big factor in the mental development of a child. It is often found that some parents neglect their children or favor one child over others. In these cases, the child might totally detach himself or herself.

4. Parents wanting their children to excel in all fields of life may also put undue pressure on them knowingly or unknowingly. These burdens in respect of game, study, music, drawing automatically lead to the break down of a child’s mental capacity and put him or her into deep depression.

5. A child spends as much time at home as in school during formative years. In academic institutions a teacher has to look upon 50 to 80 students in a single class. So it is not at all possible for him or her to pay a careful attention to individual student. It is natural for a child to be unmindful in the class. But the child can not escape the busy homework. This results in the depression. Failures in examinations or in competitions cause to the feeling of shame and guilt. Too much anxiety about the future, too many big books, over much expectation of the parents and teachers may increase the depression of child. Although student counseling regarding mental health should be made in school, it is quite a dream for many schools where basic necessities are rarely accommodated or provided.

Due to the sensitive age, children are inclining more towards friends than their families. Being unable to resist youthful temptation, some children lead to drug abuse, smoking, and ultimately depression. Sometimes internet surfing becomes a serious case of depression. Unwanted websites, violence & sex related videos leave a dangerous impression upon the soft minds of young children. Murder and dangerous offense of the society are geared up by the videos containing violence and horror.

Adolescence is marked by many physical changes. This change is obvious in girls e.g. the starting of menstruation. At that time attraction towards opposite sex is naturally increased. Unless proper guidance from parents and teachers is provided, the child may lead to depression. Sometimes, many girls are sexually abused by known or unknown friends, relatives or neighbors. This painful experience tremendously depresses the child. Sex and depression is notably increasing all over the world especially in the poor countries. Sometimes loss of friends due to change of residence can cause temporary depression. Death of a close friend or relative or parents is another major case of depression of child.

How to identify: - Academic decline is the first symbol of a child’s depression. Academic records will be worse. The child will be reluctant to go to institute and will begin to pretend to be sick to avoid schools. Lack of concentration will be apparent. The child will begin to avoid parents, friends, and hobbies. He or she will be reluctant to attend social occasion and begin to estimate him or herself poorly. Sometimes physical symptoms may appear. Significant changes in food and sleep habit will appear. The child begins to lose weight and will have headache, tiredness. These symptoms must be considered seriously, otherwise fatal symptoms may follow. The result will be abnormal growth, low education and poor chances in job market.

How to treat the Depression: - Family doctors need to be aware of signs of depression in children, because they are the real consultants. Teachers and parents should be aware of the condition of the children. Better communication and interaction between parents and children must be established or re-established. All family members must encourage the child to gain positive attitude. In order to care a child from depression, parents have to take the initiative. Often poor parental responses cause the children doom the latter’s lives. So the parents will be at the center part while dealing with the depression of child. Only proper guidance, counseling and care can save the children. Parents should be flexible to the opinion of the young children. Family unity must be established in such a way that both children & parents can share their feelings, frustration & depression without being ashamed or being afraid.