Not only are sleep issues a potential sign of depression in kids, but they’re also a risk factor for developing depression in the first place, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis of 16 studies published in JAMA Network Open. Sleeping more than usual - or having trouble falling or staying asleep - can signal depression in a child, says Lira de la Rosa. RELATED: How Depression Affects Your Appetite - Plus, 5 Ways to Manage It 4. Consistently eating more or less than they usually do - and resulting weight loss or gain - are potential signs of depression in children, according to Boston Children’s Hospital. “Typically, I would recommend keeping an eye out for changes in a child’s appetite,” Lira de la Rosa says. This is often due to anhedonia, a common sign of depression involving loss of interest or pleasure in activities they used to enjoy. Similar to adults, kids who have depression may also have behavioral changes such as withdrawal from friends or social activities they normally love, Mendez says. They’ve Withdrawn From Friends and Their Favorite Activities “They may also begin to act out or misbehave at home and at school or experience significant fluctuations in their mood.” 2. “Some of the common signs may include anger and irritability more so than feelings of sadness that may be more common in adults who have depression,” says Lira de la Rosa. This sign of depression in children is sometimes mistaken for troublemaking, according to the CDC. They Seem Angrier or More Irritable Than Usualįor some kids, depression may show up in the form of angry outbursts at the dinner table or in class, for instance. Here are seven signs your child may be experiencing depression. Lira de la Rosa says, “This may mean that by the time a child receives mental health treatment, their depression may have worsened and may take longer to treat.” “Without early intervention, depressive symptoms can worsen and lead to many emotional, behavioral, and academic challenges in a kid’s life,” Dr. Missed signs of childhood depression can lead to delayed diagnosis and treatment. It’s normal for kids to experience emotional ups and downs, but feeling down for at least two weeks could mean that a child has depression, especially if what they’re experiencing interferes with their usual routines, activities, and interests, according to the Cleveland Clinic. “When a child struggles with depressive symptoms but does not show behaviors that are typically associated and recognized as signaling depression, the negative behaviors may be misinterpreted, and the signs of depression missed,” says Mendez. A “tantrum,” for example, may not just be a kid being mad at the moment, but a sign that they are emotionally struggling, notes Dr. One reason it can be difficult to recognize depression in children is that they may explain or express their depression differently than adults do, especially if they’re young and learning how to express their emotions. Some signs of depression may appear differently in kids than adults, which is why knowing the signs of childhood depression is crucial, says Mayra Mendez, PhD, a licensed marriage and family therapist and program coordinator for intellectual and developmental disabilities and mental health services at Providence Saint John's Child and Family Development Center in Santa Monica, California. That’s because of factors including discrimination, lack of access to high quality mental health care, and cultural stigma related to mental health care, among other contributors, according to the American Psychiatric Association. “There are also significant disparities when it comes to racial and ethnic minority youth and youth that identify as LGBTQ+,” says Ernesto Lira de la Rosa, PhD, New York City–based psychologist and media advisor for the Hope for Depression Research Foundation. The proportion of children who’ve been diagnosed with depression increased by 24 percent from 2016 to 2019, and the direction of these trends continued in 2020, according to a study published in March 2022 in JAMA Pediatrics.įactors such as social media, mass violence, the fallout from COVID-19, natural disasters, climate change, and political polarization have all contributed to rising depression rates among kids and teens in the United States, according to a report published in January 2023 by the American Psychological Association. Research shows depression is on the rise in kids and teens. Approximately 2.7 million children in the United States have depression, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Depression in children is more common than some parents may realize.
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