ABOUT

It is normal to have sad thoughts. However, sometimes children and adolescents have such extreme feelings of sadness or irritability that they begin to have a hard time in school, with family, and with friends. Of course, such symptoms can lead to worry and frustration for friends and family members alike.

Currently, there are several forms of disorders related to low mood:

Major Depressive Disorder
Dysthymic Disorder
Seasonal Affective Disorder

Depression tends to run in families. However, youths’ environments also appear to play an important role, as symptoms of depression can develop after stressful life events such as medical problems, deaths, or break-ups. Though your child’s feelings of sadness may go away over time, untreated depression may also get worse and lead to thoughts about suicide. Fortunately, several treatments for depression have been proven to work. If your child seems to be more sad or irritable than usual, you may consider taking them to a medical doctor or psychologist for an evaluation and treatment recommendations.

WHAT A PARENT WOULD NOTICE IN THEIR KEIKI

Young people with depression may experience some or all of these symptoms everyday, for most of the day:

Feeling or appearing sad, tearful or irritable
Not being able to have fun doing things that were fun before
Eating a lot more or a lot less than usual
Sleeping much more or much less than usual
Moving around very quickly or very slowly
Having a lot less energy than usual
Feeling like they are “no good” or guilty
Having a hard time thinking, concentrating, or remembering
Having thoughts about hurting or killing themselves

Since young children are not always good at expressing their sad thoughts, symptoms of irritability, increased boredom, and physical complaints should be considered as important clues of depression.

FACTS

16% of youth served by the Hawaii Department of Health, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Division have a depressive disorder
About 5% of children and adolescents in the United States suffer from depression
About 7% of middle school students in Hawaii report that they have made a suicide attempt
Many times, kids with anxiety or disruptive behavior problems are at a higher risk for developing depression

VIDEOS FOR PARENTS ABOUT DEPRESSION

How can a parent determine if their child has depression? - Dr. Anne Marie Albano, Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology in Psychiatry at Columbia University and the Director of the Columbia University Clinic for Anxiety and Related Disorders at Columbus Circle.

Concerned about whether your child is at risk for suicidal behavior? - Dr. Cheryl King, Director of the Youth Depression and Suicide Prevention Program in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Michigan.