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Depression in Children and Adolescents
 What is severe depression?
- What are the signs of depression?
- What can I do to help?
What is severe depression?
- Severe depression is a mental, emotional, and behavioral disorder that can appear in childhood or adolescence. It affects behavior, thoughts, feelings, and bodies.
- Approximately 1 in every 20 children between the ages of 9 and 17 experience severe depression.
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What are the signs of depression?
- Signs of depression include
- frequent sadness, tearfulness, crying
- hopelessness
- decreased interest in activities, or inability to enjoy previously favorite activities
- persistent boredom, low energy
- social isolation, poor communication
- low self-esteem and guilt
- extreme sensitivity to rejection or failure
- increased irritability, anger, or hostility
- difficulty with relationships
- frequent complaints of physical illness, such as headaches and stomachaches
- frequent absences from school, or poor performance in school
- poor concentration
- a major change in eating or sleeping patterns
- talk of or efforts to run away from home
- thoughts or expressions of suicide or self-destructive behavior
- Some young children may pretend to be sick, be overactive, cling to their parents, refuse to go to school, or worry that their parents or loved ones might die.
- Depressed children and adolescents are at increased risk for committing suicide
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What can I do to help?
- Make careful notes about behaviors of concern. Note how long they have been going on, how often they occur, and how severe they seem.
- Schedule an appointment with a mental health professional or the child's doctor for an evaluation and diagnosis.
- Get accurate information from libraries, hotlines, and other sources.
- Ask questions about treatments and services.
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