INTRODUCTION
It is "normal" for children to feel occasionally sad and angry, but depression occurs when children have extreme depressive and irritable moods that last for an extended period of time. These moods hinder a child's ability to function on a day to day basis.
According to Cytryn and McKnew (1979), symptoms of childhood depression include:
-Persistent sad affect
-social withdrawal
-hopelessness
-helplessness
-psychomotor retardation
-anxiety
-school and social failure
-sleep and feeding disturbances
-suicidal ideas and threats
Symptoms quoted from Depression in Children and Adolescents by: Alfred French M.D., and Irving Berlin, M.D. (1979)
According to Cytryn and McKnew (1979), symptoms of childhood depression include:
-Persistent sad affect
-social withdrawal
-hopelessness
-helplessness
-psychomotor retardation
-anxiety
-school and social failure
-sleep and feeding disturbances
-suicidal ideas and threats
Symptoms quoted from Depression in Children and Adolescents by: Alfred French M.D., and Irving Berlin, M.D. (1979)
Prevalence Figures
According to bayridgetreatmentcenter.com, boys and girls experience depression at the same rate; but girls are twice as likely as boys to experience depression when entering puberty. In the United States, 50% of depressed adults experienced symptoms in their childhood and adolescent years. (Barnard, University of Kansas Medical Center).
Suspected Causes
The cause of depression varies from individual to individual, and several factors may be taken into account. The most common causes for childhood depression are a chemical imbalance in the brain, and life circumstances: death of a loved one, abuse, divorce, etc.