[CHILDHOOD DEPRESSION] 25 de noviembre de 2022

INDEX

1. DEPRESSION .................................................................... 2

2. RISK FACTORS .................................................................. 5

3. WHAT TEACHERS SHOULD KNOW ...................................... 7

4. EXAMPLE......................................................................... 8

5. ACTIVITY AND ADAPTATION............................................... 9

6. CONCLUSION .......................................................... 11

7. MY PERSONAL OPINION ............................................ 11

8. BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................................ 12

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0. INTRODUCTION

Occasionally being sad or feeling

hopeless is part of every child's life.
However, some children feel sad or
disinterested in things they used to
enjoy, or feel helpless or hopeless in
situations that can change.

When children feel persistent sadness

and hopelessness, they may be diagnosed
with depression.

1. DEPRESSION

1.1. Concept

Depression (major depressive disorder) is a common and serious medical illness

that negatively affects how you feel, think and act.

Depression causes feelings of sadness and/or loss of interest in activities you once
enjoyed. It can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems and can
decrease your ability to function at work and at home.

Fortunately, it is treatable.

1.2. Can children really have depression?

Yes.

Childhood depression is different from the normal "sadness" and everyday emotions
that children go through as they develop. Just because a child seems sad does not
necessarily mean that he or she has significant depression. But if the sadness
becomes persistent or interferes with normal social activities, interests, school work,
or family life, it may mean they have a depressive illness.

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Some facts:

 1 in 33 children may have depression

 1 in 8 adolescents may have depression.

 Two-thirds of children with mental health problems do not get the help they
need.

 Suicide is the third leading cause of death among 15-24 year olds and the
sixth leading cause of death among 5-15 year olds.

1.3. How can I tell if my child is depressed?

Symptoms of depression in children vary. The condition often goes undiagnosed

and untreated because the symptoms are masquerading as normal emotional and
psychological changes.

Early medical studies focused on "masked" depression, in which a child's depressed

mood was evidenced by misbehavior or angry behavior. While this does happen,
particularly in younger children, many children exhibit sadness or low mood similar
to adults who are depressed.

The main symptoms of depression revolve around sadness, a feeling of

hopelessness and mood swings.

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1.4. Misconceptions

There are two main misconceptions about childhood depression:

 The first applies to both adults and children. This misconception is that
someone can simply outgrow depression.

Clinical depression is more than just feeling "sad." Everyone can feel "down"
from time to time. This can be attributed to stress or unhappiness with some
aspect of their life. While depression may seem similar to these low moods,
it is much more pervasive and can even be life-threatening. Clinical
depression is also not triggered by a single event in a person's life.

 The second misconception is that children have no reason to be depressed.

Childhood is seen as a carefree period of life. Adults forget that children are
essentially powerless and have no control over their lives. Children also have
to deal with peer acceptance, school life, and any pressure or expectations
their parents have. This can be a difficult situation to live with on a day-to-
day basis.

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2. RISK FACTORS

In childhood, boys and girls appear to be at equal risk for depressive disorders; but
during adolescence, girls are twice as likely as boys to develop depression.

The diagnosis of depression in children is not as clear-cut as it is for other ailments.

There are no tests that can be given that positively say that an individual has
depression, let alone identify the causes.

Studies have shown that certain children have risk factors in their lives that may
predispose them to depression or "trigger" depression. Some of the recognized risk
factors are:

1. Stress

2. Loss of a parent or loved one

3. Breakdown of the parental relationship.

4. Attention, behavior or learning disorders

5. Genetics

6. Abuse or neglect

7. Bullying

However, some infants show depressive symptoms at an early age before most of
these factors come into play, so it can be argued that depression is entirely chemical
in some children.

Researchers also believe that children inherit a predisposition to depression and

anxiety, but that environmental triggers are necessary to bring on the first episode of
major depression. Factors associated with childhood depression include:

 Inconsistent parenting,

 Stressful life experiences, and

 A negative way of looking at the world.

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Research suggests that parental patterns of irritability and withdrawal lead to low
self-esteem in the child, and this poor self-image predisposes the child to
depression.

Likewise, family history and genetics may have a connection to whether a child
develops depression. Childhood depression is associated with a family history of
mood disorders and the existence of other psychiatric conditions. If a parent has had
childhood or recurrent depression, the child has an even greater risk of developing
depression. When depressed adults are asked about their childhood experiences,
they are more likely to report neglect, abuse, rejection, and conflict with parents.

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3. WHAT TEACHERS SHOULD KNOW

Teachers and early childhood educators should know the signs (symptoms) that
might indicate that a child is depressed. Possible symptoms:

• Seems sad or irritable most of the time.

• Seems tired, lacks energy, gives up easily.
• Puts little effort into proposed activities.
• Has trouble concentrating.
• Does not complete activities or performs poorly.
• Seems to not enjoy things and disinterested in activities he/she has
enjoyed before.
• Withdraws from other children or avoids activities.
• Has frequent physical symptoms, such as stomachaches and headaches.
• There is a decrease in self-esteem.
• Has sleep disturbances
• Appetite disturbances.

These are some of the most common symptoms, but depression differs in children,
adolescents and adults.

Educators should be aware of suicide prevention methods and follow their school's
protocol on how:

• Notify parents if a child appears suicidal

• Get help for a student at risk for suicide
• Supervise a student at risk
• Work with the school's crisis team to establish a support system at school
and home

Children with depression may need

• Treatment from mental health professionals

• Emotional support from a school counselor or school psychologist

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• A 504* plan for school accommodations

• Short breaks throughout the day to avoid feeling overwhelmed
• Extra time or extra help completing homework assignments
( )
* A 504 plan is a plan of action for how the school will support a student who has a disability and
how it will remove barriers that make it difficult for the student to access instruction. The goal is to
provide the student with equal access to school.

4. EXAMPLE

Jennie (four years old) is taken to the psychiatric departamento by her mother, who
is worried about her daughter, who says she has been in a very strange state, she is
no longer affectionate, she does not do activities such as watching TV and plauing
with her friends. For 2 months she has been behaving in this way; at school the
teacher describes more behaviors such as lack spirits and a Little isolated from her
classmates.

The physician ask the mother about the home environment at home is very cozy,
quiet and undisturbed, the family visits her every weekend, but when she talks
about the father, she mentions that they got divorced, moved house and city so he
rarely visits her. In this case, the doctor diagnosses a depressive disorder by the
symptoms and by the history that the mother has told to verify that there is no other
disease, some test are performed.

In this case, the doctor diagnoses a depressive disorder by the symptoms and by the
history that the mother has told, to verify that there is noother disease, some test are
performed. Also, he orders a very strict treatment so that she does not continue to
suffer from this patology.

Treatment:

 Involvethe father more.

 Give necessary attention.

 Use positive language.

 Teach relaxation techniques.

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5. ACTIVITY AND ADAPTATION

At the beginning of the course we planned to implement a series of activities

that would last about one semester but, due to this case of depression
mentioned above, we had to adapt them to last the whole school year. As an
example, some of these activities are described below:

a) The hot seat

Recommended age: 3 to 5

A game for group work. One child sits in a

chair. The rest of his classmates pass in front
of him and tell him something they like about
him or that makes them feel good. Once
everyone has made a positive comment about
the child, roles are exchanged.

Many children may feel uncomfortable in this

situation. This is normal; they are not used to
being told positive things. However, the result
is that the child will receive many positive
stimuli that will have a very beneficial impact
on their self-esteem.
b) I can

Recommended age: +5

It consists of asking the child to review the

achievements he/she has accomplished
during the day, no matter how simple or
small they may seem. We can also have a
fun time decorating a box in which we will
keep papers in which we will describe all
the achievements. Not only will it
strengthen their self-esteem, but it will also
improve their optimism and reinforce their
successes.

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We can also make a version of the game called "I can do it". It consists of
working on a list of resolutions that help the child to remember what he wants
to achieve and, in this way, encourage him to achieve his goals.

c) Dance and yoga

Recommended age: +5

It is proven that exercising for 30 minutes or more a day for three to five days
a week can significantly improve symptoms of depression or anxiety, it will
also help them to have a more powerful integration with their peers.

We can take 20 to 30 minutes every other day a week and can take the whole
school year to do the activity, this stimulates more learning and knowledge of
their body.

d) Another way to help a child suffering from depression is to create a

routine, this can make him feel more in control.

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6. CONCLUSION

Given the things said above we can conclude that:

 Much work remains to be done to fully understand child and adolescent

depression and its causes, and thus design more effective assessment tools
and prevention and treatment programs.

 Depression in children and adolescents generates emotional and physical

deterioration in both the patient and the family.

 It is essential to involve the family in the recovery process and also the
educational community, which will help to improve the prognosis.

 Depression will affect all areas of the human being, therefore early
intervention is essential.

7. MY PERSONAL OPINION

When doing this project we realized how depression can negatively affect the
child's life, their environment and their perception of the world, that is why we must
be aware of this type of changes in children.

We have more knowledge about this topic, so we should try to inform the family of
anything that can help them when dealing with this situation and help the child to
regain motivation, and that over time he/she realizes that everything was not as bad
as he/she thought.

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8. BIBLIOGRAPHY

DEPRESSION:

Felix Torres, M.D. (October 2020). What Is Depression?

https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/depression/what-is-depression
Dan Brennan, MD. (April 24, 2022) Depression in Children.
https://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/depression-children

MISCONCEPTIONS:

Program CASA of Arizona Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children (2022).
Childhood Depression
https://www.azcourts.gov/casa/Training/Training-Courses/Childhood-Depression

RISK FACTORS:

Program CASA of Arizona Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children (2022).
Childhood Depression
https://www.azcourts.gov/casa/Training/Training-Courses/Childhood-Depression

WHAT TEACHERS SHOULD KNOW?:

Amanda S. Lochrie (April 2022). Depression Factsheet (for Schools).

https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/depression-factsheet.html

ACTIVITY AND ADAPTATION:

Revista Sapos y Princesas S.L. (2022). 10 Juegos para mejorar y trabajar la

autoestima de los niños. https://saposyprincesas.elmundo.es/ocio-en-casa/juegos-
para-ninos/juegos-mejorar-autoestima-ninos/

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