User:Nala025/Depression in childhood and adolescence

Depression in Childhood and Adolescence

For years now depression has been seen as a predominantly adult disorder but there are now theories that support the fact that children and teenagers are also able to suffer from depression. Childhood depression is prevalent in almost every society in today’s day and age. Even though it is not considered a ‘problem’ during childhood considering the fact that there are no stressors in the lives of children, it still prevails and becomes a major cause of concern during the adolescence. Hence, it is extremely crucial to consider and understand that even children experience an immense array of sentiments that are negative. Adolescent depression is greatly under diagnosed, and leads to serious difficulties in school, and personal adjustment. It is often overlook because children are less likely to express their emotions and feelings.

Stages of Depression

Risk Factors

There are certain risk factors linking depression to adolescents. Some are having a family history of depression, being female, easily angered disposition and stressful life events are a few. Genetics and your environment have a control over mental thoughts. Children born into a family with a history of depression are three to four times more likely to develop behavior and mood disorders. In contrast to males, females tend to deal with struggles of fitting into society, self image issues, and the constant change of the woman's inner body that can produce mood swings. Symptoms of youth depression can easily be masked. Instead of expressing sadness they can potentially act irritable, bored, and sometimes choose to take part in risky behavior. Adolescent depression is greatly under diagnosed, and leads to serious difficulties in school, and personal adjustment. It is often overlook because children are less likely to express their emotions and feelings. There are many factors that have a way of producing depression amongst children and some of those key factors include the following, learning disabilities and home environment.

Coping Mechanisms can lead to internal wellness

Coping Mechanisms

The world has become so fast-paced that every step of an individual’s life requires coping. Without coping and adapting an individual is less likely to survive. Experts suggest that children cater to their state of depression in multiple distinctive ways. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (MIMH), children coping with depression varies to their age and their level of comprehension. Coping response is a vast term as it is divided into three major types of coping. One is “active coping responses/primary control” i.e., emotional expressiveness, problem solving, emotional variation and the other is “accommodative coping/secondary control” i.e. (positive introspection, cognitive reorganization, diversion and acceptance. Lastly, disengagement coping pertains of evasion, denial and wishful thinking. Some children may feel pessimistic, anxious or nervous to the extent of avoiding social contact altogether. Some children might display impulsiveness as a form of coping in their state of depression when they feel threatened or attacked by authority such as parents and teachers. If coping mechanisms aren’t learned early on in life, then stressful events can have a greater impact on you. Stress and depression have an inflated influence on adolescents; hormones are surging and there’s not always an outlet for kids to talk through their problems. A single stressful event doesn’t lead to definite depression, but cognitively internalizing everything can lead to a high depressive state. Feeling inadequate leads teens and children feeling disappointed in themselves and feeling like they are a failure. A trial deterrent intervention for high school students involving stress were taught new ways to recognize pressured events. Post- intervention showed great impact on managing anxiety and problem-solving. Stressful events are unavoidable but reacting to those events are what ultimately leads to internal wellness. It can be concluded that acquiring adaptive coping strategies requires consistency and time. It is necessary as parents and teachers to positively enforce and encourage the use of positive coping interventions by guiding and assisting depressed children. Interventions can be highly effective in reducing levels of depression with the help of consulting a child psychologist.

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