Children and Depression - Facts and Myths

It is very sad that depression can affect young children too. Many people may wonder what do children have to be depressed about? After all, they are so young and they don't have any cares in the world. They are not bogged down by responsibilities. So why would they be depressed?

Many people don't have the slightest idea that even children can suffer from depression. People think that only adults will have to deal with this problem of depression. For them childhood depression is just a myth. People always assume that childhood period is a care-free and trouble free period of one's life.

But the sad truth is that many times innocent childhood is destroyed because of childhood depression. Depression in children might occur mainly due to problems in the lives of their parents. When the child witnesses frequent problems and fights by their parents, the observant mind of the child absorbs all these things keenly. Most of the times, the observation powers of young children are sharper than that of adults.

Moreover, children do not have any sort of control over their lives. They cannot make decisions. They feel powerless in the face of the problems their parents are facing. They may feel worthless as they are unable to do anything except cry and feel frightened. All these things can have a serious effect on the child.

The sad part is that parents may not even realize this. They simply assume that their child is too small to notice or feel the effects of the fights and troubles in the family. So they continue with their aggressive behavior unmindful of the fact that their dear children are probably suffering more than them.

Here are symptoms to watch out for to identify depression in children:
1. Child suddenly becomes very silent and introvert
2. Persistent sadness
3. Feelings of anger and rage in children
4. Child loses interest in activities which he used to enjoy before
5. Child prefers to be alone and shuns friends
6. Difficulty in concentration
7. Frequent headaches, insomnia problems etc without any cause
8. Abrupt mood swings
9. Child cries frequently and cries a lot without much cause
10. Child develops low self esteem and sense of worthlessness, considers himself stupid or unlikeable etc.