Depression In Children

Most of us think of depression as a mental health issue that teens and adults struggle with. That is not the case. Children as young as kindergarten have been diagnosed with depression disorders. In addition, a person whose childhood is interrupted by depression is more likely to experience depression as adults, struggle with drug or alcohol addiction and develop additional mental health concerns. “Depression that is left untreated in childhood and adolescence results in significant suffering to these individuals as adults. It also means later treatment lengthier, costly and places greater demands on family, healthcare, welfare, education, business, and the justice system down the road, causing significant and preventable costs to society.” …show more content…
This could mean a loss of a loved one, a divorce, or a loss of innocence. (Wooley and Curtis) Common comorbidities include the following: conduct disorder, ADHD, Oppositional Defiant disorder. Often depression is seen as a consequence but it is possible depression is causing these types of behavior. There are other types of depression aside from major depression. One of which is masked depression in which students become destructive in order to avoid the experience of depression. This rids the child of urges to self-harm but sabotages relationships, enforces negative feelings about oneself and often receives anger from authorities. Another form of depression is complicated morning in which mourning severely interrupts life. They may blame themselves and personalize their loss. Feelings of anger and despair. They may become needy or clingy fearing abandonment, becoming dependent, until teachers, counselors, and friends feel the need to back away resulting in more feelings of …show more content…
Secondly the school has or should have mental health care professionals to counsel and screen students as well as direct families to resources available. Lastly it is efficient to deliver screening test in which students do not have to reach out for help. A school may conduct screenings using Self- report instruments. They ask students how well they can relate to statements through a numeric system. They indicate not only symptoms but also the severity/frequency of the symptoms. Often times the self-report instrument will be delivered to an entire class following a tragedy, death of a student, teacher or in the aftermath of a disaster. (Woolly &Curtis) Another diagnostic tool is structured interviews conducted by counselors, doctors, psychologists or