Depression
Children of any age can become deeply upset by life events and may need help coping with their sadness, whether their symptoms last a short time or for many months. Detecting depression early contributes to successful treatment. If you believe your child is depressed, or if other people are sharing concerns about your child’s mood, we encourage you to talk with us. Depression can be treated with therapy, medication or a combination. We’re here to help guide you in choosing the most successful treatment for your child.
Symptoms of depression in infants may include:
- Unresponsive, withdrawn when spoken to or touched.
- Unmotivated to play.
- Restless and unhappy much of the time.
- Oversensitive to noise, touch.
- Eating poorly, failing to gain weight (in the absence of other medical problems).
- Experiencing unusual, restless sleep patterns.
Symptoms of depression children and teens may include:
- Persistently unhappy, frequently crying
- Moody, irritable
- Negative, whining, constant complaining
- Chronically bored, withdrawn
- Frequently worried, afraid
- Overly self-critical, defeating of themselves
- Low self-esteem
- Frequently disobedient, angry
- Inattentive, forgetful
- Unable to make decisions
- Slow in speech, body movements, thoughts
- Change in eating habits
- Difficulty falling or staying asleep
- Excessively fatigued
- Losing or gaining weight
- Feeling restless or agitated
- Feeling excessively guilty or ruminating over past events
- Uninterested in favorite hobbies, friends
- Slipping grades, losing interest in school, refusing to go to school
- Preoccupied with death, violent themes in books, music, drawings
- Complaining of chronic pain (headaches, stomachaches, muscle aches)
- Inflicting self-harm
- Having suicidal thoughts, attempts