Children fit suffer from depression too . Nor miss the signs .
Even though say doubt dey about weda children fit get psychiatric disorders, now e don dey recognised say children and teenagers all over the world DEY suffer from mental health problems, including depression.
We suppose suspect Depression if e be like say young person dey experience changes for dia emotions or behaviour wen nor dey improve .
Important signs fit be unusual sadness wen dey prolonged or angry mood changes, boredom or inability to enjoy things as much as dem dey enjoy am before, and tiredness wen nor fit dey explained, as well as poor sleep, appetite changes, and problems with academic performance.
Sometimes something stressful fit don happen, and e dey important to try to address am. E dey important to shine our eyes and make we seek help as soon as possible for d pikin or young person, especially because the risk of suicide fit increase if depression nor dey identified and treated.
Shey Children fit dey Depressed?
E dey common to hear people talk say children “not fit dey depressed”. Afterall “Wetin dem get to think about?” “which responsibilities dem get to worry about?”.
This one suggest say most people believe say depression dey result from wen people “think too much”. Na true say person wen dey think too much , and person wen dey keep deep emotions to em self don dey associated with feeling of deep sadness.
But depression dey more than just say person get feelings of sadness, and e fit nor dey caused by just “thinking too much” or “worrying all the time”.
Science don recognize say many factors dey wen dey determine who fit suffer from mental health problems and who nor fit suffer from am. Many of these factors dey affect adults as well as young people. Because of this, e dey possible for children to experience depression as seriously as adults take dey experience am.
Wetin be some Signs of Depression for Children?
Experts agree on some central features wen dey seen for people who are depressed:
persistent low mood, loss of interest for previously enjoyable activities, and reduced energy levels or marked tiredness.
Each of these signs fit dey seen for children or teenagers wen dey depressed, but e get some characteristics wen make depression different for the younger age group.
Episodes of depression for children dey tend to last longer without treatment, sometimes e fit go on for several months to a year, compared to depressive episodes for adults.
Unlike the main low mood wen we dey see for adults, adolescent wen dey depressed mood fit dey normal alot of the time. Dia mood go dey fluctuate, some of dem go dey unexpectedly irritated and easily angered a lot of the time.
teenager wen dey depressed fit look like say e dey enjoy the same pleasurable activities as e take dem enjoy am before, but close interaction go reveal say dia feelings of pleasure fit dey shallow and short-lived. Because of this, dem go dey bored or uninterested quick. Them fit find am difficult to maintain concentration, and this one fit manifest for school activities , and dia academic performance fit drop.
Children and adolescents with depression fit show reduction for motivation. Noticeable change in appetite fit dey , the young person fit begin eat less, but sometimes more, than e dey eat before .
Many times , sleep difficulties go dey – problems with falling asleep, waking up many times for night, or waking up long before daybreak and e nor go dey able to sleep back .
For severe forms of depression, children fit experience uncommon symptoms, like unusual feelings of guilt, or dem fit dey convinced about negative things, like say dem dey responsible for bad things wen happen.
Dem fit say dem dey hear voices wen other people nor hear , and say the voices dey tell them sad or frightening things.
E dey relevant to note say some of these symptoms dey related to the reason why dem brand some children “witches” for some parts of Africa.
These kind of children actually need urgent mental health intervention, nor be make dem dey victimization for crimes dem fit never commit.
E nor dey uncommon for depressed young people, especially teenagers, to express thoughts of hopelessness, and make dem think about suicide or even make attempts to harm themselves or take dia own lives.
Which Factors fit Lead to Depressive Symptoms in Children?
When pikin get symptoms of depression, e dey very natural to wonder where the symptoms “come from”. E nor dey very clearly understood why one pikin fit
get depression and why another fit nor, although the general understanding na say some factors fit increase the risk for depression, and these factors fit be genetic, or make e dey caused by the social environment.
Genetic factors dey difficult to measure with certainty. But, if many people for the pikin family don suffer depressive symptoms, the pikin or teenager fit get some chances to develop depression if e dey exposed to sufficient stress.
The stress fit come from social influences. For children, the trigger fit be bullying by peers, trauma from physical or sexual abuse, or other stressful experiences. Any of these fit serve as “push over the edge” for pikin wen already dey vulnerable due to em genetic or temperamental make up.
Wetin I suppose Do if I think say pikin or teenager hey Depressed?
Depressive symptoms for young people fit dey missed or misinterpreted. E dey important to dey vigilant and curious if e be like say pikin dey experience significant change for em emotions or behaviour. If e be like say the change nor wan go , gentle and supportive talk with person wen the pikin trusts fit help to get facts about wetin dey go on.
When a stressful situation dey identified, e dey important to try your best to change am. For situations when symptoms continue, worsen, or turn serious, e dey important to seek the help of medical or mental health professional. This one dey very important if e look like say the pikin or teenager dey get thoughts or plans of suicide, or dey deliberately do things to harm themselves.
