Lifting the Cloud
You can see and hear the kids playing and laughing, enjoying the delights that the day has brought them. That’s our typical thoughts of children, but for some children that is not what daily life is like for them. It wasn’t until the 1970’s that doctors realized that depression does not only occur in adults, but also in children. Childhood depression is a condition that is serious and can cause changes in thinking, mood, and behavior. To diagnose children with depression, doctors use a checklist of symptoms called child depression inventory (CDI) and review reports from parents, teachers, and other caregivers (kidsmentalhealth, 2009). According to JAMA, it is estimated that major depressive disorder (MDD) affects about 5 percent of adolescents …show more content…
Any side effects or change in the child’s behavior should be reported to the doctor and the medication dosages should be taken as directed. Also, before stopping any anti-depressant medication, you should always consult with your doctor. The using of SSRI medications are considered better than older anti-depressant medications because they have fewer side effects and are less likely to cause harm if taken in an overdose (JAMA, 2014). Some may point to the “black-box” safety alert that is now carried on all anti-depressants because of their use being linked to suicidal thoughts and behavior in some children and teenagers as a reason to not use them, but these occurrences have been evidenced in only a small proportion (3%) of pediatric patients during only the first few months of their treatment (Antidepressants, 2004). The results of a 1988-2006 review of pediatric trials show that the benefits of taking anti-depressant medications likely outweighs their risks to children and adolescents with major depression and anxiety disorder
You can see and hear the kids playing and laughing, enjoying the delights that the day has brought them. That’s our typical thoughts of children, but for some children that is not what daily life is like for them. It wasn’t until the 1970’s that doctors realized that depression does not only occur in adults, but also in children. Childhood depression is a condition that is serious and can cause changes in thinking, mood, and behavior. To diagnose children with depression, doctors use a checklist of symptoms called child depression inventory (CDI) and review reports from parents, teachers, and other caregivers (kidsmentalhealth, 2009). According to JAMA, it is estimated that major depressive disorder (MDD) affects about 5 percent of adolescents …show more content…
Any side effects or change in the child’s behavior should be reported to the doctor and the medication dosages should be taken as directed. Also, before stopping any anti-depressant medication, you should always consult with your doctor. The using of SSRI medications are considered better than older anti-depressant medications because they have fewer side effects and are less likely to cause harm if taken in an overdose (JAMA, 2014). Some may point to the “black-box” safety alert that is now carried on all anti-depressants because of their use being linked to suicidal thoughts and behavior in some children and teenagers as a reason to not use them, but these occurrences have been evidenced in only a small proportion (3%) of pediatric patients during only the first few months of their treatment (Antidepressants, 2004). The results of a 1988-2006 review of pediatric trials show that the benefits of taking anti-depressant medications likely outweighs their risks to children and adolescents with major depression and anxiety disorder