Childhood Depression, What parents need to know

If you are here, you have concerns. Are you noticing your child isn’t being “themselves?” Is your child isolating away from family or friends. Or perhaps they are expressing a disliking of themselves saying they are stupid or no one likes them? Children DO go through depression. But their cues that this is the case are much more subtle. Childhood depression can be difficult to recognize but not hard when you know what signs to look for.

We know you want your child to have the best childhood they can, and also to love themselves! When children struggle with sadness, poor self esteem, and depression they are not living their best lives. Giving space and validity that their emotions are ok to talk about is a major step towards helping them to heal when they are going through depression, sadness, and social stressors such as bullying.

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Depression impacts the whole child

Children who struggle with depression can slowly turn into themselves. This will cause a disconnection from friends, their schooling, and family. Childhood depression can lead to poor sleep and at times over or under eating. If it is left untreated depression during childhood can increase the risk of prolonged, severe depressive episodes in the future and can also lead to towars increased risk of self-injurious behavior. We know that children will potentially struggle socially and academically as well. With help, your child can rebuild their confidence again, returning back to the fun and learning that childhood can give them. This is why it is important to address childhood depression as early as possible.

Recognizing when your child needs help

Every child will occasionally feel sad or hopeless. So how can you tell if your child is depressed or just sad? Children and adolescents who have depression typically experience persistent, intense feelings of sadness and hopelessness that impacts their daily functioning. Early recognition and treatment of depression in children and adolescents can be life-saving. Due to their youth, often children do not have the vocabularly to really express what they are feeling. But as a parent, you can often tell something is quite right.

These are signs that your child could be struggling with depressed feelings:

>Unusual sadness or irritability that persists despite time

>Little to no interest in activities previously enjoyed

>Changes in eating patterns

>Changes in sleep patterns

>Sluggishness and decrease in energy

>Shift in behavior and/or academic performance

>Harsh self-assessment and feelings of worthlessness

>Self-injury or self-destructive behavior

>Thoughts of or attempts at suicide

Can counseling help my child?

The good news is that depression is VERY treatable, but the sooner the better! Having your child begin counseling sets the tone for them seeking emotional health support in their adulthood. Our therapists use several different evidence-based therapies that are shown to be effective in treating depression in children and adolescents, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, and play therapy.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): During CBT, our therapists help children and adolescents understand how their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are all connected. We collaborate with children to set and achieve goals, such as identifying and changing unhelpful thought patterns, and teach them the skills needed to cope with their symptoms.

Interpersonal therapy (IPT): In IPT, our therapists focus on children’s social relationships, which can either maintain their depression or suffer because of it. We teach children proper communication and problem-solving skills, and help them understand how their relationships may affect their mood. IPT can be adapted for adolescents with depression to address romantic relationships and communication with parents and peers. Parents may be asked to participate in these sessions.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT): DBT is a helpful therapy for children with more severe depression who might engage in self-harm or experience suicidal thoughts. During DBT, our therapists teach children and adolescents the practice of mindfulness, as well as problem-solving skills, to help them manage distress and difficult situations in a healthy way.

Play Therapy: We believe that children can communicate and express themselves through play. In play therapy, our therapists help children address their depression and cope with their depressive symptoms. We use play to teach children how to communicate, express their feelings, take responsibility for their behavior, problem-solve, relate to others, and develop self-efficacy.

We love working with children!

We know your love for your child and we take this responsibility seriously in growing healthy young people in our communities. We are ready to support your child in being the healthiest version of themselves when they need us.

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Source: Child Mind, CDC, & Anxiety & Depresion Association of America