Did you know that depression
presents differently in children than it does in adults?
Though the disorder
of depression can occur in in kids, teens - and even babies, the symptoms don’t
always look like adult depression. Take a look at the differences below so you
can learn how to detect this serious, but treatable disorder.
For more, read my award-winning book “Depression and Your Child: A Guide for Parents and Caregivers.”
Signs of
Depression in Adults
|
Signs of
Depression in Children
|
|
Depressed
mood
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Irritable,
fussy or cranky
|
|
Anhedonia
(Decreased interest/enjoyment in
once-favorite activities)
Negative
thinking, helplessness
|
Boredom,
lack of interest in play, giving up
favorite activities
Blames
self for failures, misperceives peer interactions, socially isolates, resists
new experiences
|
|
Significant
weight loss or weight gain
|
Failure to
thrive, fussy eating, overeating and
weight gain especially in adolescence
|
|
Insomnia
or Hypersomnia (Excessive sleeping)
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Difficulty
falling asleep, staying asleep, difficulty emerging from sleep, hard to
awaken, frequent napping.
|
|
Psychomotor
agitation, restlessness or slowness
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Difficulty
sitting still, pacing, very slow movements, clingy, little or no spontaneity,
overly aggressive or sensitive
|
|
Fatigue or
loss of energy
|
Persistently
tired, appears lazy, sluggish, reports aches and pains, frequent absences
from school
|
|
Low
self-esteem, feelings of guilt
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Whiny,
cries easily, self-critical, feels stupid, unloved or misunderstood
|
|
Inability
to concentrate, indecisive
|
Sulks,
appears foggy, distractible, poor school performance, forgetful, unmotivated
|
|
Recurrent
suicidal thoughts or behavior
|
Worries
about death, talks about running away, writing or drawings about death,
giving away favorite toys or belongings
|
2 comments:
Absolutely great post to remember. It's so important to keep in mind that in young children, sometimes their symptoms are almost the exact opposite of a depressed adult. It doesn't mean they're not suffering or "being difficult." Thank you for this!
This is very interesting! I know it's becoming more researched but you may know as you've written a book about it; whats the research like in terms of depression in children and teenagers? I can only presume it's on the up!
You need to spread this blog! get people in the know
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