Myth 16 - Children and adolescents don't get depressed, and if they do, then they don't need treatment.
Depression in children has long been an overlooked health problem. While it is fairly well known to the general public that clinical depression is common, affecting 10 to 15 % of the adult population at some point in life, it is not commonly known that depression in childhood is also a major health problem. In fact, depression in children is arguably more significant of an issue that is adult depression. For example, about 5% of children at any given time suffer from clinical depression; this naturally occurs during critical phases in child development, and not only can show itself with behaviors and feelings not commonly viewed as part of a "depression," but can interfere with the normal developmental processes of childhood.
Depression in children can, if untreated, affect school performance and learning, social interactions and development of normal peer relationships, self-esteem and life skill acquisition, parent-child relations and a child's sense of bonding and trust, can lead to substance abuse, disruptive behaviors, violence and aggression, legal troubles, and even suicide. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death among children and adolescents, just behind accidents and violence. Moreover, depressive thinking can become part of a child's developing personality, leaving long-term effects in place for the rest of a child's life.
The most common symptoms of depression reported in children and adolescents were sadness, inability to feel pleasure, irritability, fatigue, insomnia, lack of self-esteem, and social withdrawal. Children are as well somewhat more likely than adolescents to suffer from physical symptoms (e.g., stomach aches and headaches), hallucinations, agitation, and extreme fears. On the other hand, adolescents showed more despairing thoughts, weight changes, and excessive daytime sleepiness.
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(c) 2001 by Vincent Iannelli, M.D. (http://pediatrics.about.com), licensed to About.com, Inc. Used by permission of About.com, Inc., which can be found on the Web at www.about.com. All rights reserved.
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