Childhood depression: everything you need to know

The debate about this disorder of children and adolescents is gaining prominence among parents and professionals from various fields

The debate about childhood depression has gained momentum over the years. Thus, interest in the topic is growing in the same way among professionals from different fields. Even parents themselves are starting to worry more about their children’s mental health.

Defining childhood depression remains a complex issue and its causes vary in each child’s context.

 There are three factors most commonly cited for the onset of the disorder:

Environmental, social and genetic.

A depressed child has impairment in cognitive areas. Thus, she can demonstrate learning difficulties in reading, writing, concentrating, and understanding the previous contents of the class.

Childhood depression symptoms

Damage also appears in psychosocial conditions, so the child does not want to contact other individuals. Therefore, parents should pay attention to the main symptoms of childhood depression:

commotion [general]

Worry;

Change in weight and appetite.

insomnia;

aggression;

recurring sadness

A little bit of social media

difficulties in thinking activity;

Loss of interest in activities that were previously enjoyable.

Depressed children lose the “shine in their eyes”, imagination, and the desire to play and socialize with friends of the same age, which are very striking characteristics in children.

Moreover, the environment is also a very important factor in the onset of childhood depression. A healthy family environment is necessary for a child to develop emotionally.

Welcoming and protection are essential to this process. But when there is no such feeling of support, the child begins to apply his ways of dealing with what is in front of him, which are not always considered useful behaviors and actions. Therefore, this develops over the years, reaching adolescence and adulthood.

In most cases, depression can lead to other disorders, especially anxiety.

child anxiety

Anxiety is distinguished from intense and frequent worrying about facts or events that are routine and habitual. These increasing pains lead to thoughts of fear and danger, especially in children and adolescents.

The mind and body suffer from anxiety through stressful everyday events. Both the physical and emotional parts of the child and teen can be affected, plus the way people see the world around them is affected as well. Therefore, the way in which it will be affected and what will be affected by it varies from person to person, depending on what aggravated the event.

signs of anxiety

Certain specific behaviors are part of the anxious child and adolescent profile. So keep an eye out for the following:

excitement

relationship difficulty

severe stress

learning problem

Excessive bonding with parents or guardians;

Panic attacks and agitation (sometimes).

Although in many cases the body signals several symptoms of this disorder, the most common ones are heavy sweating, stomach pain, headache, and vomiting.

Anxiety is a disease

It is important to know that anxiety is only defined as pathological when it is presented to a person in an intense and repetitive manner. While it leaves the common normal anxiety picture in people’s lives, it turns into anxiety disorders.

Among the most common mental illnesses in children and adolescents are:

Generalized anxiety disorder.

social phobia

obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD);

panic attacks;

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

There is no single specific cause for concern. Therefore, there are many everyday factors in the life of a child or teen that can lead to a situation of greater stress than expected.

Environmental factors, such as the social, family, and school context, can also be causes of concern. In addition, internalized behaviors from others and contact with stressful people and places with a specific frequency end up eliciting the same feeling and the same reaction.

The importance of parents in diagnosing the disorder

In terms of responsible metrics, parents, when they see something wrong with a child or teen, should look for professionals who specialize in the field to work out the causes, behaviors and demonstrate strategies to the individual. In this way, your child can go through different situations in a more convenient way.

Finally, it is important to emphasize that parental support is very important for your child to face anxiety in the most natural and least painful way possible.

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