Childhood Depression

Twenty million people in the United States suffer from depression each year. Although it is treatable in 80% of the cases with a combination of medication and counseling, only 1:3 people seek help. Children and teens who have suffered from abuse or trauma are at a high risk to develop depression. For children 8-13 years of age, the incidence of depression in the general population is about 8-9%. For boys this rate stays fairly constant as they enter adolescence, but for girls it increases to 16% of teenage girls. Of the teens that are depressed, approximately 15% will commit suicide. Experts suspect that the rate of attempted suicide is much higher if you count some car accidents, overdoses, risky behaviors, etc. If a child has an episode of depression between the ages of 8-13 years, there is a 75% rate of recurrence later in life. Since depression interferes with emotional development and the learning of social skills, it is important to recognize it early. Depressed children are likely to be overlooked at school by adults and peers. Depression interferes with learning because it causes a decrease in the ability to concentrate, put forth effort, and memorize or retain information. Depression often snowballs for students as they withdraw from friends, start doing poorly in school, experience increased tensions with parents, etc. Depressed children often are unable to name or talk about their feelings, which is shown through an increase in irritability, crankiness, impatience, and anger toward adults and peers.

Symptoms of Depression in Children/Teens: (for more than 2 weeks)

• Changes in appetite
• Depressed or irritable mood for most of the day, almost every day
• Diminished interest or pleasure in activities/interests
• Persistent sadness
• Significant weight loss or gain (or inability to make normal growth gains)
• Insomnia or sleeping too much almost daily
• Agitation or sluggishness
• Fatigue or loss of energy
• Low self-esteem + intense feelings of worthlessness, self-reproach, or guilt
• Negative thought patterns, persistent boredom, and low energy
• Drop in ability to concentrate, retain information, or make decisions
• Feelings of hopelessness or refusal to try to make any effort
• Frequent complaints of physical illnesses such as headaches or stomachaches
• Frequent absences from school or poor performance in school
• Recurrent thoughts of death or suicide
• Trying to self-medicate through use of drugs or alcohol in teens

How Teachers Can Help

• Alert the school counselor or other mental health professional about the student’s possible depression. They can make the appropriate medical and mental health referrals. Antidepressant medication has a good success rate with teens and adults, but is not as well researched in children. Since depression is a biochemical imbalance in brain chemistry, it must be treated with medication. The best results for treatment are a combination of medication and psychotherapy. The medication relieves the physical symptoms while the therapy works on the personal and social problems that contributed to the depression.
• Educate parents about childhood depression.
• Teach students about their feelings, how to cope and problem solve, and the social skills necessary to making friends.
• Listen to what the student is saying--be aware of the feelings that are being expressed through his or her writing, music, play, etc.
• Intercede early when you observe signs of school failure.
• Help the student see how to change negative thinking patterns.
• Keep communicating.
• Reduce anxiety-producing expectations or assignments.
• Teach strategies for concentrating and retaining information.
• Make sure you and your room are a safe haven for the student.
• ALWAYS TAKE A STUDENT’S THREAT OF SUICIDE SERIOUSLY & GET HELP IMMEDIATELY.

RESOURCES FOR GRIEF & DEPRESSION

Type the following keywords, phrases, or organizations into your search engine to find URLs for the following resources on death, grief, and depression.

Compassionate Friends: A self-help support organization that provides friendship and understanding to families who are grieving the loss of a child of any age, due to any cause.

The Dougy Center: The National Center for Grieving Children and Adults. It provides support and training to individuals and organizations assisting children and teens in grief. Located in Portland, OR, it also provides children and families in that region a safe place where they can share their experiences as they move through their healing process. Excellent resources for teachers, parents, and counselors on children’s grief.

GROWW: A nonprofit Internet site offering a variety of grief and bereavement resources online, including a monitored chat room.

Hospice Of America: Learn about hospice care and the availability of various programs.

National Mental Health Association: “Childhood Depression Fact Sheet” and “Depression Checklist”

Suicide: The Save Organization and Hopeline: 1-800-394-HOPE