Behavioral problems, the vagaries of development, adolescent crisis. Before 20 years, the mood of children is changing. How do I know if a depression? How to interpret his "I do not care," "I'm no", "nobody loves me" ...
Long depression remained poorly identified in children and adolescents. Considered a hazard to the psychological maturation, it was then assessed as highly dependent on age in its manifestations: it has spoken of "depressive equivalents" by attaching vague symptoms: opposition to parents, eating disorders, delinquency etc..
We now know that the "hard core" of depressive symptoms is the same whether a child or an adult: sadness, indifference, intellectual inhibition, negative thoughts, sleep disturbances.
Depression, a disease prevalent among adolescent
Depression affects 1% of children and 5% of adolescents. This represents a considerable weight in terms of individual suffering as public health. This frequency is even more disturbing that the attempted suicide is a complication of depression.
Contrary to what we see in adults, the frequency of occurrence of depression is the same for girls and boys before adolescence. But at puberty, we note, as an adult, a sex ratio of 2 to 1 in favor of females. The explanations are primarily psychosocial: teenagers were significantly more likely than boys their age lower self-esteem with a negative perception of the body.
In children and adolescents, depression is rarely isolated
The Registry of anxiety disorders are associated with depression in 40 to 70% of cases. This may be separation anxiety, panic disorder, school phobia and learning disabilities in children.
Disruptive behavior (or conduct disorder), often occur before the depression they are a risk factor, they can also survive him. The risk behavior, particularly the use of alcohol or psychoactive drugs are often secondary to disorders of adolescent depression. They constitute an aggravating factor.
What are the signs of depression in children?
We need a listening ear to hear in the expressions and unspoken child sadness and pathological symptoms of depression.
In his difficulties with the school that changes in child behavior are attracting the attention of his family and teachers. A child who has difficulty concentrating will often react by avoiding or refusing to work unless there obstinate long hours without result. In both cases, it leads to school failure.
But children may also manifest depression in ways that will seem paradoxical: he becomes irritable, excited, exhausted in a sterile, is angry. At other times he falls back on him.
Often her appetite will change. In children little is the lack of appetite which prevails; adolescents, it will often be more cravings or bulimia true. As for sleep is still disrupted and the child refuses to sleep, has difficulty sleeping, difficulty sleeping, fatigue.
On the opposition to conduct a self worthlessness, sometimes reinforced by the reaction family is created a vicious circle in which depression worsens, without being recognized or even suspected.
Dealing with depression in children?
Before a change in behavior of a child or adolescent who can not be explained properly by a family event, social or personal, whether that change is hard, if suffering should be consulted.
The role of family doctor or pediatrician is important at both diagnostic and therapeutic. Making the diagnosis, explain to the family and get his help may be enough to overcome depression.
But if the problem persists and is resistant to this first approach, it is desirable to see a pediatric psychiatrist who may decide to support the most appropriate.
In children, it is rare that antidepressant drugs are indicated. However, they can be very useful in adolescents.
Several forms of psychotherapy can be used and the choice of one or the other is with the family and the child himself.
The children of a depressed person
Children of depressed parents are often more psychological problems than others. The risk is three times higher for them in regard to mood disorders.
The depression will not have the same impact on children, if it occurs in the mother or with father. It does not sound the same way a small child or adolescent.
* A study has shown that 24% of children aged 1 year born to depressed mothers exhibit disorders of the interaction. More recently, it has been shown that 40% of children of parents with affective disorders presented around birth receive psychiatric care during their adult life.
These findings support the value of multifaceted therapeutic interventions with the couple formed by a depressed mother and her baby.
The influence of parent-child relationship is paramount to the development of depressive disorders in children from infancy through adolescence. The age of adolescence is marked by major transformations both physical and biological and psychological. Having a parent or depressed at this age probably does not promote a harmonious development.
What future for a child depressive
The main risk of progression of depressive disorders of childhood is especially recurrent episodes equivalents during adolescence. The risk of relapse and recurrence of depression in adolescence may in fact reach 70% after 5 years (for depression characterized). However depressive disorder reaction is almost never followed by a major depressive episode.
As for becoming an adult, it is currently impossible to determine:
- Some studies show that many of the children called "at risk" have in adulthood, against all odds, better skills than subjects considered safe;
- Other studies show that depressed children, compared to a control group would have no depression in adulthood.
However depressed adolescents themselves, are much more prone to depressive disorders in adulthood than controls.
To conclude, as recommended by the consensus conference on depression in children: "we can and we must free ourselves of the simplistic equation of determinism that links the fatal disease of adult depressive disorders of the child ".
