Childhood depression: symptoms and what to do. Signs of Depression in Children Treating Depression in Children

Most people believe that depression is a problem that only affects adults, but children are also susceptible to this danger. Depression pervades the child's everyday life, and children are often unable to identify or explain to adults what is happening. If you suspect that your child has depression, read the tips below. They can help you recognize the symptoms and also tell you how to talk about the problem with your child.

Steps

Part 1

Watch emotional changes

Watch for changes in children's emotions. It must be remembered that some children have little or no symptoms of depression. If you think your child is depressed, you need to watch for mood swings and changes in emotions that have started showing up recently.

Notice any signs of prolonged or unreasonable sadness or anxiety. It can be tearfulness, frequent crying, as well as a general state of anxiety. You should also pay attention to a constant state of tension, bedwetting in a child whose bed was previously dry, fearfulness, tension or sudden attacks of fear when other people or some objects appear.

• Also noteworthy is the long-term inability to cope with the loss, which can last for weeks or even months.

1. Listen for expressions of guilt or hopelessness. Perhaps your child has begun to slip the expression “it’s my fault (it’s my fault)”, or “what’s the point, for what? (no point in trying). The presence of such expressions can signal both the strong expression of common childhood fears and the presence of serious problems reflecting stronger feelings of anxiety.

   • Feelings of hopelessness can be expressed in many ways: inability to do homework, lack of interest in things that used to attract, a general expression of guilt, even if it is known that the child was not at fault.

2. Beware of increasing anger and irritability. Sometimes a depressed child shows clear and expressive signs. Such children overreact to what is happening, expressing irritation, anger and disappointment about minor things. They feel neglected in the most mundane situations. They also become restless and tend to increase their anxiety levels. Such children lose the ability to remain calm and self-control.

   • It can also manifest itself in the inability to tolerate any criticism. Notice if your child reacts too sensitively to rejection or is unable to take criticism normally, even if it is presented in a very mild form. If constructive criticism is perceived painfully, it may indicate problems.

3. Look for signs of a lack of joy and satisfaction in life. It is also necessary to pay attention to the level of happiness of the child. The problem can be detected by noticing that for several days you have not heard a child's laughter or a child is not interested in favorite things. In this case, measures should be taken to raise his/her spirit. If all efforts fail, your child is depressed.

   Pay attention to your child's eating habits. You should record any unexplained changes in appetite if they last for a long time. This may be an increase in appetite or vice versa, a lack of desire to eat. Also, with manifestations of depression, the child usually loses interest in food that used to be a favorite.

   Be aware of the child's social life. Withdrawal from social life is a common behavioral response to isolate yourself from your peers. If children show depression, they may withdraw from social life, both among friends and family. Beware of this. :

   • Preference to play alone rather than with peers.
   • Lack of interest in maintaining friendly relations that were previously significant.

4. Pay attention to any changes in sleep patterns. It can be opposite changes - constant drowsiness or insomnia. You should also pay attention to the increased frequency of statements about fatigue and lack of energy, accompanied by a decrease in interest in activities that previously interested the child.

Part 3

Talk to a child

1. Be aware that your child may be hiding symptoms of depression. Many children have not yet learned how to properly express their inner experiences. So it's unlikely that a son or daughter will come up to you and say, "I'm depressed." Also, he/she should not be expected to try to explain the problem, since the children themselves cannot really understand what is happening.

   • Be mindful of what your child “doesn't” say and be prepared to bring it up yourself. Children may be embarrassed and sensitive about discussing their own problems. Signs of depression are listed in this article under 'watching for signs and symptoms'.

2. Listen to your child as if he is not able to properly explain and understand what is happening. By taking time every day to listen to your child, you give him the opportunity to talk about what is happening to him. Children are usually direct and honest in describing things as they see them, even if they cannot properly explain or understand what is happening.

   • Ask your child every night how he feels. If anxiety or sadness is noticed, take the time to talk to them about the problems and the reasons for the lack of happiness.

3. Make it easy for your child to communicate with you. You must understand that communication with children is difficult if you use the labels "cranky" or "difficult", or treat them as if they were naughty. In this case, it is much more difficult for children to express what they feel deep within themselves.

   • You also need to be attentive to any issues that children raise themselves. To keep the right approach to the child in the future, you do not need to ignore any questions (for example, saying "this is stupid").

4. Maintain good relationships with children's mentors at school and other institutions. Thanks to this, you will be able to receive feedback and signals on events that you yourself cannot notice. It will also help to determine whether the same problems are sustainable in different settings.

   • For example, you can talk to the teacher if you suspect your child is depressed. Schedule a meeting to discuss parenting issues and ask if you notice any odd behaviors in class.

Childhood depression and the mechanism of its triggering. The article will discuss the causes and signs of a depressed child, and will also suggest ways to deal with the blues.

The mechanism of development of childhood depression

The triggering of such a mental pathology as childhood depression has been fairly well studied by psychologists. In this case, we are talking about the following mechanism of its development:

• serotin imbalance. Very often, it is this factor that begins to form a chain, which subsequently leads to the onset of depression.
• Neurotransmitter dysfunction. They directly serve to connect nerve cells with each other, which makes the operation of this system uninterrupted.
• Imbalance between the functions of inhibition and excitation. After the listed pathological stages, a similar thing occurs, which leads to the dominant process of inhibition.

The result of all of the above is the beginning of a progressive depression in the child. Psychologists in this case advise not to joke with the described things that can radically destroy the child's psyche.

Causes of depression in children

The origins of the voiced problem can be a variety of reasons. Depression in childhood begins with such provoking factors:

1. Heredity. In this case, parents lay in the child's body a kind of chronic fatigue gene. In vain, little attention is paid to this issue, because heredity is an important component in the formation of any baby.
2. Intrauterine pathologies. The statement that the child's body begins to be exposed to risk factors only after its birth will be erroneous. Infections and fetal hypoxia can subsequently become a serious impetus for the development of childhood depression.
3. Difficult family environment. Not every child will be able to calmly respond to scandals between dad and mom. At the same time, a situation is likely when, in an incomplete family, a parent begins to actively arrange his personal life, infringing on the interests of the baby. The child's soul is very often unnecessarily vulnerable, so you should not experiment on it.
4. Tyrant Parents. No matter how sad it sounds, but sometimes the most terrible enemy for a child's unformed personality is precisely this factor. The reason for this may be the despotic nature of the parents, who, it seems to them, very successfully create an ideal out of their child. As a result, they will receive not a perfect personality, but a crippled childhood destiny. Sometimes parents just don't know how to love. They themselves have traumas from childhood, they themselves had the same relatives. Therefore, there is no example of a loving family and the right relationship with a baby.
5. Lack of parental attention. Excessive care can be an annoying factor for small personalities, but its complete absence is already a direct blow to the child's psyche. We like to be taken care of and loved, which is quite normal for every person.
6. Not perceived by the children's team. At any age, public opinion is important, because it often shapes our life position. It is easier for an adult to avoid this, but it becomes problematic for a child to deal with peer rejection. Imaginary and real leaders in any community are a direct threat to unformed personalities with a finer mental organization.
7. emotional upheaval. Grief, acute disappointment in loved ones become serious provocateurs of the onset of depression in children. According to their psychological development, they are not yet ready for such harsh life situations, which not every adult is able to endure with dignity.
8. Problems at school. Frequent change of educational institutions or a conflict with some teachers can trigger the mechanism of depression in a child. School is a place where he spends a fairly large amount of time, so troubles in it are a threatening factor in the described problem.
9. Death of a pet. Cats, dogs, parrots and even fish are often very significant in a child's life. In this case, the death of a pet can have an extremely negative impact on the state of the child's psyche, giving rise to depression.
10. Chronic illness. We are all used to the fact that in the children's team our beloved child can catch some kind of infection. Everything is worse with a serious illness that prevents him from enjoying a happy childhood. Depression in this case is a painful reaction of the body to what is happening.

Psychologists strongly recommend being very attentive to the behavior of the child if there are provoking factors. It is the parents who are able to analyze the situation and find the causes of childhood depression, to notice the alarming signals of the beginning of the development of such a pathology in a son or daughter. After all, as with any disease, it is easier to prevent it in the beginning than to deal with the consequences.

The main signs of a depressed child

A child immersed in a state of depression is more difficult to identify than an adult in a similar situation. However, there are signs by which it is realistic to detect the presence of this factor in children:

• An uncontrollable feeling of fear. We are all afraid of something, but in adequate people this state has reasonable limits. A child in a state of depression is afraid of literally everything and everyone. He is especially tormented by thoughts of death, which he is unable to control.
• Unexplained mood swings. Many of us are prone to emotional outbursts, unless it concerns phlegmatic people. However, an uncontrolled process in the form of laughter, which immediately turns into hysteria, should make any parent think.
• General sleep disturbance. In this case, there is a fall into extremes: the child constantly feels the need for sleep or a radically different misfortune - insomnia. At the same time, he is tormented by nightmares, which lead to fear of the onset of darkness and time to rest. The child ceases to see in this a positive moment and the natural need of a person in a dream, fearing again to meet with terrible visions in a dream.
• chronic fatigue syndrome. Very often, due to insomnia, the student literally sleeps in the classroom, and the baby - in the classroom in kindergarten. However, even with excellent sleep in such a child, everything falls out of hand due to an exhausted body. Against this pathological background, depression can gracefully develop, which can become chronic.
• Appetite disorder. This factor is another alarm signal about the beginning of problems in the psychological state of the child. At this age, children should have a good appetite, which may have deviations solely in the form of reluctance to eat certain foods.
• Feeling helpless. It is common for a child to often seek support from adults, but sometimes such behavior takes an obsessive form. In children with depression, this feeling dominates over positive emotions, introducing stress into an unformed personality.
• A sudden change in preferences. Everything that pleased the child before becomes an annoying burden during depression. Favorite occupation now brings not aesthetic pleasure, but complete rejection and obvious protest from the once complaisant son or daughter.
• The desire for solitude. Being alone is sometimes useful in order to sort out some life moments. However, conscious self-isolation for a long period is an alarming signal that the child has problems with the perception of the world around him.

Remember! Signs of childhood depression are often veiled, but they can still be identified. You just need to take a closer look at your child, while saving him from mental trauma.

Features of the treatment of depression in a child

From all of the above, we can conclude that it is necessary to treat childhood depression without fail. In this case, there are different ways and methods of dealing with such a scourge.

Treatment of depression in a child with medications

Especially zealous parents should immediately be reminded that self-medication is strictly prohibited when it comes to a child. This kind of drug dabbling can make treating childhood depression a dangerous undertaking.

An experienced specialist can, after examining a small patient, offer the following medications in the form of therapy:

1. fluoxetine. At the moment, this is the most gentle antidepressant that can really be used in the treatment of children. However, it is not recommended to use it without a doctor's prescription.
2. Citalopram. The voiced drug has a calming effect on the psyche of the child. All this allows you to save children in depression from obsessive and dangerous ideas.
3. Taking vitamins. It is no secret that vitamins also need to be taken wisely so that a useful thing does not cause the opposite of the expected result. In this case, vitamin C has proven to be excellent, which must be consumed two grams daily. Complexes, including zinc and manganese, will also help to improve the general well-being of the child.

Consider psychological ways to deal with depression in a child:

• play therapy. Children always remain direct personalities, so they can be carried away by an unusual activity. Any experienced psychotherapist knows this technique, so it's worth trying it.
• Family Therapy. This method will help in the case when the causes of depression in a child are associated with a conflict situation between parents. Loving dad and mom should forget about their mutual claims to restore peace of mind in their child.
• Leisure organization. However, it should be remembered that the emphasis should be on the child's obvious hobbies. The stories of parents that their children do not like anything specific are a pathetic excuse of negligent educators.
• Straight Talk. It's time to finally hear your children, who sometimes come in a silent cry about their problem. At the same time, it is also not worth going too far, turning heart-to-heart communication into an interrogation with an addiction.
• love therapy. Someone will smile skeptically upon hearing the voiced, but we all want to be needed by someone. A child is a litmus test that absorbs the emotions of people dear to him. Love and only love will help your child overcome his depression.

Folk remedies for the destruction of depression in a child

Traditional medicine in this case will help the depressive child. It is worth using the following remedies recommended by our grandmothers:

1. Soothing baths. Useful in this case will be a glass of raw materials in the form of valerian roots, which are poured with half a liter of boiling water. The infusion must be kept for two to three hours. The resulting substance, added to the bath, will give a wonderful calming effect. Excellent help in the fight against depression in a child and water procedures using poplar leaves. They are prepared in the same way as the voiced recipe with valerian roots.
2. rubdowns. In a healthy body healthy mind. At the same time, no one suggests freezing the child to blue and deep fainting. However, he does not interfere with salt rubdown, which must be done every morning. In this case, you need to use not a pood of salt, but only a teaspoon of the substance per liter of water. Contraindications in this case are various dermatological problems that aggressively manifest themselves.
3. Soothing decoctions. In this case, it is necessary to act very carefully so as not to cause an allergic edema in the child. Steamed mint leaves are an excellent remedy for depression. A tablespoon of feedstock is poured with a glass of hot water. You need to arrange a similar tea party in the morning and in the evening for maximum success. A good remedy in case of childhood depression will be a steamed collection of alfalfa, marshmallow roots with the addition of an apple. Three tablespoons of the voiced composition is poured with half a liter of water, insisted for half an hour and grated apple is added. Drinking glasses of such a remedy is not necessary and even undesirable. It will be enough to have a tablespoon of the resulting drug consumed before meals.

How to treat depression in a child - look at the video:

Childhood depression is no reason for adult skepticism when it comes to the well-being of their beloved children, which is important for parents. It often happens that the inattention of fathers and mothers busy with themselves can lead to the hospitalization of a child due to a severe decline in mental strength. Ignoring the problem can not only break the fragile child's psyche, but also provoke the inexplicable development of physiological diseases. Only love and attention to your children will help prevent serious consequences.

Depression in children is an affective disorder that is accompanied by a sharp decrease in mood, the child cannot feel joy, he develops negative thinking. And also there is increased anxiety, fears and phobias previously unknown to the child appear, problems with social adaptation appear. Somatic symptoms are also noticeable in the form of headache, impaired digestion and general malaise. For more information on how to get a child out of depression, see this article.

General information

To begin with, I would like to understand the question of what depression is and what is its origin. The word itself came to us from the Latin language and in translation means "pressure", "suppress". This problem is quite common and every year the number of parents seeking help is growing. Depression can occur in a child at the age of one and much later. An early depressive state suggests that such problems will bother both a teenager and then an adult. Experts noted that this disease is seasonal, since the main peak of incidence falls on

Main reasons

Before talking about methods of treatment and methods of prevention, I would like to highlight the causes of depression in children. For each age period they are different. When a child is 2 years old, depression can have the following causes:

1. CNS lesions. Such an affective disorder may be the result of damage to brain cells, which can occur due to a number of pathologies: birth asphyxia, intrauterine hypoxia or other intrauterine infections, neuroinfections.
2. hereditary predisposition. Especially prone to depression are children whose closest relatives have some kind of mental illness or problems in the field of neurology. If you are aware of such facts, then this must be reported to the attending physician.
3. Difficult family relationships. Much depends on the atmosphere in the family. It is very difficult for young children to endure a break with their mother or her emotional remoteness (alcoholism, drug addiction). Children who live in conditions of constant scandals or are subject to violence from their parents quite often feel depressed and fall into a depressive state.

It is worth noting that depression with young children is rare and if it does, then the reason lies in the relationships in the family.

Causes of depression in preschoolers

Depression in a child of 5 years old can manifest itself against the background of the fact that he is getting acquainted with society, an active process of his socialization begins already outside the family. At this age or a little earlier, kids begin to attend kindergarten, where they get to know new children, orders, and rules. At this age, the reasons may be biological, or the inability of the child to gain a foothold in a new team may affect.

1. Parenting style. Some parents establish total control over their child, he is constantly under guardianship, in relation to some children they use violence, behave aggressively. Against the background of all this, the level of neuroticism creeps up and, of course, depression occurs.
2. Social relations. When a child goes to kindergarten, he enters a new team, and he has never had such an experience of communication. There may be problems in communicating with peers, or the child does not want to obey the instructions of the teacher. All this leaves an imprint on the emotional state of the baby.

Depression in a junior high school student

As for school-age children, all the reasons listed above are preserved and new ones are added to them. At this age, the child goes to school and again finds himself in a new team. At school, the requirements for children are much higher, the study load is growing, parents can demand a lot from a newly minted student. Particularly complicating the condition of the child is that he cannot cope with what adults want from him. As a result of this, he can not only develop depression, but also greatly drop his self-esteem.

Classification of depressions

There are several classifications of depression in children. First of all, I would like to single out those states that differ in their duration and completeness of manifestations. Here stand out:

• depressive reaction,
• depressive disorder,
• depressive syndrome.

Further, depressions are distinguished by the nature of the course: an adynamic form, which is characterized by a strong lethargy of the child, slow actions and monotony, as well as an anxious form. In the second, one can observe the emergence of many fears and phobias in a child, he loses a good sleep, he is often tormented by nightmares, the baby may become too tearful.

If you turn to Russian psychiatric manuals, you can find the following classification there:

1. Anxiety disorder that was caused by separation from someone (usually from the mother).
2. phobic disorder. It can be diagnosed if the child has some fears that are not inherent in this age.
3. Social anxiety disorder. When a child enters a new team or is in an unfamiliar situation for him, he may experience severe anxiety, against which we observe depression.
4. Mixed emotional and behavioral disorders. To the already mentioned anxiety and timidity, noticeable disturbances in behavior are added. The child can become withdrawn and too aggressive, any social norms cease to exist for him.

Symptoms of childhood depression

Signs of depression in children are difficult to detect because they can be well disguised. Young children still cannot realize what is happening to them, why their mood deteriorates and, accordingly, cannot complain about it. You can determine the presence of depression by somatic symptoms and by clearly manifesting anxiety.

Somatic signs are hard to miss. The child may begin to lose weight dramatically, appetite disappears and sleep is severely disturbed, constipation or diarrhea is observed, the baby may complain of various pains in the head, abdomen, various muscles and joints, and the heartbeat is very rapid. If the child already goes to kindergarten, then he may complain of constant fatigue, express a desire to relax, sleep. Schoolchildren begin to simulate various diseases in order to attract attention to themselves.

As for the emotional state, then, of course, anxiety is manifested here. The child is in tension all day, and towards evening all his fears begin to intensify and reach their climax at night. It is almost impossible to explain the appearance of anxiety, since even the child himself does not know the cause. Very young children scream a lot and start crying for any reason, they are especially upset by the departure of their mother or a change in their usual environment, the appearance of new people.

There can be serious problems with adaptation in kindergarten, and this problem is quite common. Because they think that mom took them there forever and will never take them again. But even when they begin to realize that they are only staying here for a while, there is a new fear that mom will simply forget to pick him up today. With age, fears do not go away, but only intensify, as the child grows and his imagination begins to work faster. He begins to think about the death of his parents, war or accidents. It is during such periods that phobias develop, which then haunt a person throughout his life. Such may be the portrait of a child with dreary depression.

For schoolchildren, things are even more difficult, as they begin to lose interest in life. The desire to study, go to school, communicate with peers in the classroom and in the yard disappears. They increasingly complain of boredom. The child begins to cry more often, can be rude to parents and just acquaintances. Against the background of all this, one can observe school maladjustment, when children simply have no desire to attend an educational institution or learn lessons. This results in poor academic performance, problems in communicating with classmates.

Possible Complications

Complications of childhood depression can be very different. In almost fifty percent of cases, additional disorders in behavior and mood appear. And more than fifty percent of patients then get an anxiety disorder. Most of the patients permanently remain with serious behavioral disorders, about twenty percent get dysthymia and almost thirty percent substance dependence. But all this is trifles compared with the most dangerous result of depression - suicide. More than half of sick children think about suicide and half of them realize these plans. And every second attempt ends, alas, "successfully".

All this can be avoided only with timely diagnosis.

Diagnostics

Let's find out when a child has depression, what to do for mom and which doctor to go to. Diagnosis is carried out by several specialists at once: a pediatrician, a psychiatrist and a pediatric neurologist. Until the child is four years old, they use the method of exclusion, check the patient's heredity, the state of his central nervous system. At an older age, doctors will already be interested in the emotional state of the child, specialists will identify social causes that could similarly affect the state of the baby. There is a whole set of activities, after which you can accurately establish the diagnosis:

1. Consultation with a pediatrician. The specialist must conduct a complete examination of the patient and talk with the parents, after which the child takes all the tests to rule out somatic diseases.
2. Appeal to narrow specialists. If, for his part, the pediatrician does not see any violations, then the child is sent to other specialists so that the surgeon, dermatologist and other doctors can completely exclude somatic diseases.
3. Neurologist's consultation. This specialist also conducts a full examination and prescribes several studies: ultrasound, MRI of the brain, EEG. Based on the results of these tests, it will be possible to establish the biological basis of the depression that has appeared.
4. Psychiatric consultation. Only after exclusion of all somatic disorders, the patient can go to a psychiatrist who will examine the behavior of the child, evaluate his emotional reactions. His task is to find out the psychological causes of depression and, based on his observations, as well as on the basis of the conclusion of a neurologist and pediatrician, establish an accurate diagnosis.
5. Clinical psychologist. The psychologist is the last to work with the child. When the baby is already four years old, you can safely apply various tests and techniques. Drawing tests are considered especially effective in this case, with the help of which figurative material can be interpreted. Most often, psychologists use such tests as: "House. Tree. Man.", "Non-existent animal", "My family", the Rosenzweig test.

Treating depression in a child

Depression can be treated with drug therapy and child psychotherapy. In parallel, social rehabilitation activities can also be carried out. The integrated approach includes:

• The use of antidepressants. Most often, experts recommend the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. The first result of their action can be seen in a few weeks, they have practically no side effects. These remedies are able to calm, anesthetize, smooth out all manifestations of panic, relieve many phobias.
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Such therapy is carried out by a psychologist, where he teaches the child to show his feelings and emotions, supports the child in every possible way, using various techniques, tries to change the mood and behavior of his little patient. This method is based on relaxation, breathing exercises are used. The use of projective techniques is also very effective. Here, not only drawing, but also modeling, fairy tale therapy.
• Family psychotherapy. During such classes, the specialist works not only with the child, but also with his parents. The purpose of the classes is to restore harmonious relations in the family, to help family members find a "common language". Here, parents must learn to understand their child, be able to help him in a difficult situation, do everything for his speedy recovery.

Prevention methods

If the child has already had depression before, then there is a risk that a recurrence will occur. Twenty-five percent of children suffer from depression again within a year, forty percent relapse after two years, and seventy percent relapse after five years. Nearly forty percent of adults who experienced childhood depression are diagnosed with bipolar personality disorder.

Timely prevention will reduce the risk of a first episode and help prevent recurrence. The first thing to start with is to create a favorable atmosphere in the family, maintain trusting relationships between family members, support the child in every possible way in his endeavors and take part in his affairs. Do not forget about visiting specialists so that they control the emotional state of the child. If necessary, you should take the necessary drugs. It is strictly forbidden to prescribe or cancel treatment on your own, even if outwardly no signs of the disease appear.

Each of us, and the child is no exception, has experienced, at least occasionally, periods of melancholy (periods of bad mood, sadness or melancholy). Depression, which is a mental disorder, differs in appearance from melancholia in duration, frequency of repetition and depth of symptoms.

Depression is a mental disorder that can be expressed in numerous forms and signs (prolonged depressed mood, lack of interest in activities, inhibition of thinking, unreasonable fears, various physiological signs such as insomnia, loss of appetite, etc.).

For a long time it was believed that children, unlike adults, cannot experience depressive states, at least long-term ones. Recent studies show that long-term depression is just as much of a problem for children and adolescents as it is for adults.

Serious and prolonged depressive states can be observed in 3-5% of children and 10-20% of adolescents. The main difficulty lies in diagnosing such conditions (variability, instability, variety of manifestations due to the simultaneous action of many external factors on the child).

Depressions in children, unlike "sad, melancholy, sad" moods, are not self-limiting disorders and parents should not expect them to disappear with age. Depression can recur and lead to a significant deterioration in the general condition and health of the child, which makes depression a very dangerous disease of childhood.

Depressive symptoms, depressive syndrome, depressive disorder

In everyday life, "depression" in a child refers to a number of different conditions.

depressive symptoms. For example, a child is sad and feels unhappy. In most cases, these symptoms are temporary, resolve quickly, are triggered by specific events, and are not indicative of a serious psychiatric disorder. Depressive symptoms should be distinguished from the actual symptoms of the disease "depressive disorder".

depressive syndrome. The simultaneous presence of a number of depressive symptoms (for example, a mood of sadness, a weakening of interest in activities, psychomotor disturbances, etc.). The syndrome may coexist with other disorders (eg, hyperactivity disorder, attention deficit disorder). A depressive syndrome is a more serious condition than just a depressive symptom, but is considered as a disease if it exceeds the norm in duration and depth.

Depressive disorder (actually "depression"). Occurs when a depressive syndrome, due to its depth and duration, leads to a significant deterioration in the general condition of the child's body.

Causes of depression (depressive disorders) in children

Depression in children occurs, as a rule, due to a combination of many factors. Formally, there are several reasons.

Infectious diseases. Depression can be a complication of an infectious disease (ARVI, acute tonsillitis, etc.).

genetic predisposition. According to the latest data, if parents had depressive disorders, the risk of their occurrence in a child reaches 15%. In addition, genetic factors significantly increase the risk of depression due to psychosocial factors.

Functional disorders in the brain. Many studies show that depression in a child can be caused by biochemical changes in the brain - a decrease in the equilibrium concentration of neurotransmitters (serotonin, norepinephrine, gamma-aminobutyric acid, etc.). It is believed that the action of the so-called. antidepressants is associated with the restoration of the initial equilibrium concentrations of neurotransmitters.

psychosocial factors. These factors include: raising a child in an atmosphere of fear (threats of punishment, constant feeling of helplessness), early loss of one of the parents, family breakup, conflicts with other children and a host of other reasons leading to constant stressful situations. The neurobiological result of stressful situations is, in particular, a multiple increase in the concentration of the stress hormone (cortisol) in the blood, which is also observed during the development of depression in a child.

In addition to the above, there is many other factors, which alone or (more often) in combination lead to the development of a depressive syndrome or a depressive disorder in children. For example, with a special sensitivity of the child's body to changes in climatic conditions, the appearance of the so-called. "winter" depressions.

Symptoms of depression and the age of the child

The symptoms of depression in children and adults can be very different. For example, instead of the so-called. "social retreat" the child may experience outbreaks of aggression. In addition, signs such as lack of concentration, learning difficulties, refusal to study can indicate both depression and attention deficit disorder. It must be borne in mind that the symptoms of depression differ for each age period (although there are common symptoms).

Very little is known about depression in children under 1.5-2 years of age. At young children in an emotionally cold environment in the family (lack of maternal care, inability to form attachment), symptoms similar to those of a depressive disorder (apathy, alienation, sleep disturbances, weight loss, etc.) can be observed.

In general, the symptoms of depression in young children are different from those in older children (so-called depression). age symptoms).

In children under 6 years old the most pronounced symptoms are increased timidity, complaints of physical ailments, sharp and sudden manifestations of temperament and behavioral problems (aggression, periods of "rebellion", etc.).

In older children symptoms are predominantly expressed in a lack of self-confidence, feelings of guilt, hopelessness and indifference to everything.

Teenagers the most specific symptoms are feelings of drowsiness and loss of appetite, manifestations of self-abasement and suicidal thoughts.

In addition to specific (age-related) symptoms of depression, there are general symptoms, characteristic of any age, the duration of which (several weeks) and an almost daily manifestation may indicate depression in a child:
- a constant state of sadness (despondency);
- constant feeling of guilt and worthlessness, lack of self-confidence;
- low resistance to frustration (psychological state in a situation of disappointment, failure to achieve the goal), expressed in crying or rage;
- prolonged lack of interest in the outside world, lack of periods of joy, lack of energy (lethargy);
- "social retreat" (for example, the desire to limit the number of social contacts);
- insomnia or, conversely, increased drowsiness;
- decreased or increased appetite;
- feeling of constant fatigue;
- Difficulties with constructive problem solving, the desire to avoid their solution;
- drug abuse, suicidal thoughts;
- decreased alertness and decreased ability to make decisions.

The symptoms and signs of depression in children are many and varied, so diagnosis of depression based on the persistence and duration of several of the symptoms above.

Treating Depression in Children

If a child in a state of depression is at least partially aware of the unusual nature of his condition and wants to get out of it (i.e. motivated), then the best therapy is physical activity (long walks, sports, etc.).

In the treatment of long-term depressive disorder, a number of fundamentally different methods are used.

Psychotherapeutic methods (psychosocial therapy). Methods depend on the age of the child (therapeutic sessions are conducted by child or adolescent psychologists), the microsocial environment (family therapy). The main goal is to strengthen the child's self-esteem, develop his ability to express feelings, to solve problems, to actively influence various situations that have developed, to adapt to social relations.

Phytotherapeutic methods. Widely used in mild forms of depression (for example, treatment with currant leaf extracts).

Light therapy. The effectiveness of light therapy methods is associated with an increase in the regulatory function of the brain.

Medical methods (antidepressive drug treatment). It is used in severe forms of depressive disorders and in case other methods are ineffective. For the treatment of children, the same psychoactive medications are used as for adults, but in a different dosage (which is determined by a pediatric psychiatrist).

Usability antidepressants for the treatment of children is still a controversial point, but statistics show that this type of drug helps in at least 50% of cases of severe depression in adolescents. Some types of antidepressants are approved for use in children from 6 years of age. But the general recommendation is to limit the duration of antidepressant treatment and avoid antidepressants if other treatments are beneficial.

Currently prevalence of depression in children(one of the most dangerous diseases of childhood) tends to increase. Moreover, there is a decrease in the average age of children who show symptoms of depression. The reasons for this are often understandable and well-known - the accelerating rhythm of life, the increasing isolation of many families, the decrease in the time allotted for communication with the child, etc. In such a situation, it is very important that when symptoms and suspicions of a depressive state appear in a child, parents promptly turn to pediatric specialists (children, adolescents, family psychologists, child psychiatrists). When a child is deeply depressed can't on his own get out of this state and depression will negatively affect his health and his entire future life.

Everyone knows a little what depression is. But only a little. One can speak about the presence of depression only if there are several components: bad mood, mental and motor retardation. Diseases are added to this, vitality drops. And a depressive idea appears: self-accusation, self-condemnation, thoughts of illness, self-abasement. Depression is a long-term pathological condition.

All this is about adults, but what about children? Even 50 years ago, it was believed that there were no depressive conditions in childhood, but this is not so. Children are also susceptible to this mental disorder.

IN early childhood (1-3 years) and preschool age (3-6 years) for a child, the world is a family, so the cause of depression is in the family. Most often - divorces, scandals. When parents quarrel, the child may take it personally, because. he is egocentric due to his age. Other traumatic circumstances can be a long illness, the death of loved ones, the birth of another child in the family, moving, going to kindergarten. And the problem is not that this happens, but that the child is almost never initiated into family relationships, the death of relatives, the departure of the father are hidden. Parents forget to maintain contact and intimacy, and the child feels emotionally walled off.

In children of primary school age (6 \ 7-10 years) depression is caused not only by intra-family problems, but also by difficulties associated with studying at school: changing classes, teachers, moving to another school, lagging behind peers due to a long illness, abusive behavior of a teacher, etc.

What are the characteristics of childhood depression?

It is important to understand that, due to age, the child cannot say what is wrong with him. He cannot realize and convey his state of mind, he cannot define longing or anxiety. Most often, children complain of boredom, they say that they are “sad”, “sad”, “I want to cry”, “heavy at heart”. Boredom, weakness, sadness prevail in the morning. During the day, fatigue, drowsiness, headaches are noted. By the evening, as a rule, anxiety increases with a restless look, fussiness, tension. This is accompanied by aimless running around the room, a lot of unnecessary movements, swaying the torso, throwing from side to side.

The main feature of childhood depression is that it is always "masked", that is, difficult to recognize due to the abundance of health complaints (often mistaken for asthenia), negativism, grouchy mood, increased sensitivity, intellectual deficiency and behavioral disturbance.

When a child is depressed, they may experience:

malnutrition, vomiting, constipation, loose stools, abdominal pain, loss of appetite;

pain in the heart, heart rhythm disturbance, vegetative-vascular dystonia;

cough, respiratory failure;

eczema, neurodermatitis, psoriasis, pruritus;

headaches, fainting, dizziness, temporary impairment of hearing, vision, speech (aphonia - no voice), loss of the ability to stand and walk.

Prolonged temperature increase within 37.1-38.0°C without inflammation.

The danger of this manifestation of depression is that it limits the possibilities of the child. They begin to protect him from everything, and the child is fixed on himself and his illnesses.

Intellectual retardation is manifested by slowness of speech, long thinking over answers to simple questions, refusal from games that require mental stress and attention, unwillingness to listen to once beloved books. After the age of 6, the slowness of thinking increases, manifesting itself in the difficulties of comprehending and memorizing educational material. At the same time, children cry a lot, lamenting that "it will still be a deuce." They can’t concentrate, they become extremely absent-minded, they forget to prepare their lessons, bring notebooks and textbooks to school, they complain that “I try to understand and I don’t understand.”

Behavioral violations include rudeness, violation of social norms, rules, poor performance. In general, the manifestation of depression in the form of aggression with a decline in working capacity, irritability and timidity is typical for children, starting from early school age. It is difficult for a child to get up in the morning, it is difficult to think.

How to suspect that a child has depression?

From an early age, a person has his own character, his own line of life. Therefore, it is worth paying attention if the child SUDDENLY:

Cries for the slightest reason: when offended, remarked or encouraged, for any question, suggestion, the arrival of a stranger in the house, the appearance of a new toy, etc.

He gets angry, fights, grumbles, is naughty, rude, just "gets out of hand."

Indifferent, overly obedient.

He began to get sick, lost his appetite, became drowsy or suffers from insomnia. He finds it difficult to fall asleep, sleeps intermittently, wakes up crying, sees terrible dreams.

He thinks badly, studies poorly, is dissatisfied with himself.

I began to be afraid of being alone in the whole world, of losing my mother, that my mother would not come to kindergarten, that on the way home she would fall under a car or be killed by bandits, “the world will die”, there will be an “end of the world”, “nuclear war”, “neutron war”, “people will die”, “I will die”.

Unsmiling, refuses to answer questions, distrustful, does not want to approach other children.

Willingly plays alone, avoids games that require intellectual effort and attention.

Refuses favorite and new toys, the game becomes more primitive, and younger students return to forgotten toys and spend the whole day playing.

He loses weight, becomes pale, he has a blue under his eyes, a downcast or tense posture, a gloomy or sad expression on his face, a restless or extinct look.

He stops letting go of his mother, asks to be picked up, shaken, infantile intonations appear in his speech.

He began to suck his thumb, bite his nails, the ends of his hair, his collar, twist his hair.

Became slow. He dresses for a long time, often being late for school because of this, cannot run during breaks, avoids outdoor games, and looks lethargic and awkward in physical education classes.

Painfully reacts to the slightest injustice in relation to themselves and others, they experience acute sympathy, including in relation to animals and inanimate objects.

He blames those around him for all the problems: mom, dad, teachers, educators.

What can parents do to help their child?

Parents should not try to make a diagnosis on their own and engage in "self-medication". If you suspect depression in your child, you should definitely show it to a specialist. Psychologists diagnose depression. They do not have the right to make a diagnosis, but they can assume the presence of this disorder and refer them to a psychiatrist or neuropsychiatrist, who will already determine the type of depression and select a treatment, if necessary, medication. It is good if a psychologist and a psychiatrist work in tandem and help the child together with the parents.

Children need to be seen, heard, felt, touched and loved. The more emotional and physical contact a parent has with a child, the better. Strengthen your child's attachment to you. How to do this, G. Neufeld wrote well in the book "Do not miss your children." And there is also an opinion that a child needs at least 20 touches per day. At the same time, it is good if the child has a quiet space where he can be alone.

Parents should understand that any change in life, both negative and positive, is stressful for a child. The first thing a parent can do is talk to the child, find out how he feels about the event. It is important to discuss any changes with the child: it was like this, and now it has become like this. This also applies to the death of loved ones. The second is to accept the state of another, not to devalue experiences with words like “yes, everything is fine with you.” Misunderstanding from others only exacerbates depression. Therefore, parents can sympathize and let the child grieve. It is important for a child to feel that his parents understand him and are not afraid of what is happening. It may be worth reducing the requirements and training loads.

The child is so arranged that his socialization occurs through the game. He loses every situation. So it's good to just play together. Give the child the opportunity to choose the plot of the game or beat a specific alarming situation.

It is important for parents to respond appropriately to bad behavior. Laziness, unwillingness to learn, rudeness are often perceived incorrectly, and harsh disciplinary actions only increase depression. Teaching a child to share their experiences, to be open, to develop positive thinking is a lot of work, both for parents and for children. Celebrate even small successes, focus on achievements and hopes. Remember what worked well, what gave pleasure, what joint activities made you happy and start doing it again.

Belousova Ekaterina,
psychologist