childhood depression

The prevalence of depression in young children and adolescents today is astounding; one out of thirty three children suffer from depression. Shockingly, until fairly recently deprssion in small children was not established as a real disorder. Consequently, the scientific research needed to comprehend how children experience depression, the causes of their depression, and treatment options have emerged over the past twenty years. (the psychiatry depressed source book) &( Dubuque, S.(1998) . Depression is defined as a serious medical condition where a person is in a constant state of sadness, feels hopeless, and unimportant and often is unable to live in a normal way (merriam- webster.com) children who suffer from depression have constant feelings of sadness while similtaneously experience problems concentrating, have very little motivation, are often irratible, suffer from seperation anxiety and can even experience relentless physical pain like headaches and stomach pain which does not improve with treatment. Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry

The specific causes of depression in children are unknown. It could develop as a result of combined factors that are assocaiated with physical health, life experiences, family history, environment, genetic predisposition, and biochemical disturbance. (webmd). Because childhood depression may be comorbid with, anxiety disorders or ADD, recognizing and diagnosing it can be difficult. (dubuque, 1998) Studies have shown that children who experience a lot stress, have attention problems, have a learning disability, or have conduct disorders are at higher risk for depression. proquest childhood depression) Depression is a recurring disorder, where especially in children, throughou...

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...of the causes of children over-internalizing behaviors will recognize which children are most likely to become depressed. Including maternal depression in the possible causes for childhood depression enables children who may be affected to be treated and cared for. additionally, understanding the root causes for the depression, the shame and guilt elevations, will enable us to best treat it. The conclusions clearly show that importance of developing a treatment protocol for this population.

As a special educator, this knowledge will be helpful to me in a variety of ways. It will enable me to understand which children are most likely to suffer from depression and will make me aware of the possible symptoms. Having this knowledge will change the way I relate to children with this disability. They need special care and to be related to with extra sensitivity.