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The True Scoop on Depression In Kids & Teens
The size of the depression problem. Pharyngitis is going around. Save $92.64 on Prozac by knowing this hack. A pink eye treatment update. Recalls on witch hats and PJs. A sticker con.
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Depression In Kids & Teens
As a parent, it can be hard to acknowledge that your kid may have depression. After all, they are a kid; they don’t have anything to be stressed about, right? The thing is, all depression isn’t situational (parental divorce, death of a loved one, etc.). Many kids who apparently ‘have it all’ are still depressed. Increasing your awareness could potentially save your child’s life one day.
What is depression really?
The Mayo clinic has one of the most concise definitions of depression that I’ve seen. Their definition states:
Depression is a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest. Also called major depressive disorder or clinical depression, it affects how you feel, think and behave and can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems.
In mental health, one book essentially outlines all mental conditions in medicine and it is considered the gold standard. It is the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), the most current volume is volume 5 (published in 2013). To make a diagnosis of depression, a person is supposed to have 5 of 9 listed conditions for more than 2 weeks (listed below). It also notes that to have a diagnosis of depression, symptoms must cause “clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.” And “depression” should not be diagnosed if the symptoms are the result of effects from a substance or other medical condition.
Symptoms of true depression
Depressed mood: A persistently low or depressed mood (often presents as sadness)
Loss of interest or pleasure: A markedly diminished interest in activities most of the day, nearly every day (e.g., no longer wants to play sports or hang out with friends)
Guilt feelings or thoughts of worthlessness: Feelings of guilt or worthlessness (can present as hopelessness)
Energy changes or fatigue: Fatigue or loss of energy nearly every day
Concentration or attention impairment: An inability to focus and concentrate (may have failing grades or seem indifferent options/choices)
Appetite or weight changes: Significant weight loss or gain, or a decrease or increase in appetite nearly every day
Psychomotor disturbances: Movements that are unusually slow or agitated (e.g., trouble with speech, fidgeting, or restlessness)
Suicidal thoughts: Recurrent thoughts of death, suicidal ideation, or suicide attempt (kids will often entertain the idea of how life would be without them)
Sleep disturbance: Either Insomnia or hypersomnia (sleeping too much)
It’s also important to remember that kids can present in a variety of ways. While your mind may have pictured a depressed person as sad, mopey, crying all the time, and can’t get out of bed, that may not be how a kid actually presents. A kid may be irritable, tired, complaining of headaches, and having trouble sleeping (which can be a difficult presentation to decipher between other medical problems).
Risk factors for depression
While risk factors don’t predict depression, they are just that: risk factors:
Parents with depression (there seems to be a genetic component to depression)
Having anxiety (depression and anxiety often co-exist)
Personal temperament (some people are inherently more happy or sad)
Negative thoughts
Chronic or intense stress
Family conflict
Poor health
Protective factors for depression
Every parent wants to know how to help raise more emotionally resilient children. Sometimes, no amount of “perfect parenting” can prevent childhood depression. However, there are certainly factors that seem to be protective. They include (taken from Youth.gov):
Positive physical development
Academic achievement/intellectual development
Good coping skills and problem solving skills
Involvement in 2 or more of the following: school, athletics, employment, religion, or culture
Family that provides: structure, limits, rules, monitoring, values, and supportive relationships
Presence of mentors and support systems
How is depression diagnosed in kids and teens?
Depression is usually diagnosed by a physician. Diagnosis includes a thorough history (including the history of symptoms, questions about suicide/death, and a family history of mental health illnesses). Physicians will often use standardized depression tools/questionnaires (the PHQ 9, Beck Depression Inventory, Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, etc.). Do not be surprised if the physician asks to speak to your child privately. Those conversations (tailored to age appropriateness) will often inquire into sex, drugs, relationship problems (with parents or significant others), home environment, etc.
Depression treatment
There are a couple of different approaches to treatment of depression. The first includes psychotherapy, essentially talking with your “therapist” or psychologist. For some people, this approach is enough. However, many people who suffer from depression need the aid of a depression medication (sometimes in combination with therapy). Usually a class of medications called Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) are used first line (this includes medications like Fluoxetine, a.k.a. Prozac and Sertraline, a.k.a., Zoloft). These medications are designed to increase a chemical in the brain called serotonin. Treatment duration is classically 6+ months. Your pediatrician will help you determine if your child will need to stay on the medication long term.
How big of a problem is depression really?
The American Academy of Pediatrics states that in the United States, up to 3% of children and 20% of adolescents have depression. Lifetime prevalence is around 18-20%.
That’s an astounding number to me when I think that nearly 1 in 5 kids in the local junior high are walking around with or will have depression at some point.
Eight of the top 10 highest suicide rates in teens across the nation are in the states in the west. In Utah, where I live, suicide is the #1 killer of kids aged 10-18 years old. In most states, suicide ranks in the top 5 causes of death in adolescents. That’s a huge problem.
Hopefully by talking more and more about it, we can raise general awareness of depression and help our kids who are suffering needlessly.
