Introduction
The scientific and medical interest in childhood depression appeared relatively recently. This can be explained by the notion that kids are naturally happy, cheerful creatures, incapable of deeply and prolongedly experiencing their difficulties. In addition, juniors’ unwillingness is often perceived as depression and, on the contrary, the children’s depression is wrongly assessed as isolation. Thus, it is essential to explore the reasons for the disease and possible ways to treat depression in kids.
The Explanation of the Choice of Topic
I selected this theme because depression is the most complicated section in neuropsychology and psychology from the point of view of diagnosis and treatment. It is challenging to investigate and establish them because all types of symptoms can be due to many varied causes, from social, familial to mental illness. It is crucial to study and understand this topic because it is estimated that one in seven adolescents aged 10-19 in the world has a mental illness (Barch, Harms, Tillman, Hawkey & Luby, 2019). Adolescents with mental health problems are especially vulnerable to such phenomena as social exclusion, discrimination, and stigmatization. Accordingly, the protection of children from adversity and the promotion of social-emotional competence and psychological well-being are essential to their health and wellness.
The Characteristics of the Disorder
Childhood depression is an emotional illness that is accompanied by conduct impairment and mood changes. In infants, depression can start to develop from 3 to 4 months of age (Barch et al., 2019). A kid suffering from this illness loses all interest in life and experiences constant apathy. Childhood depression can begin to manifest itself at age 3-4 but usually progresses during junior high school age (Barch et al., 2019). In kids, depression usually emerges through disturbed, deviant behavior. All depression, first of all, is always associated with a decrease in mood.
The Reasons and Risk Factors for Childhood Depression
The most probable cause of children’s depression is a genetic predisposition to the disorder. However, in order for a genetic predisposition to manifest itself, a person should be under the influence of certain stress factors. In general, such effects at a child’s age are related to the family’s environment (Luyten & Fonagy, 2018). A provoking potential risk factor for the development of the condition could be the parents’ divorce or tension between them.
Another serious danger factor for the development of children’s depression is bullying. If a kid has a predisposition to depression, bullying by adolescents can trigger the mechanisms of disease progression. The child will start ignoring school and escaping from interaction with the educational system in all possible ways. In children, there is a certain immaturity in the way they express their feelings (Luyten & Fonagy, 2018). Then, instead of mood disorders and decreased activity, the kid demonstrates numerous complaints about unwellness. Furthermore, the child manifests concern or hyperactivity and a tendency to protest in school and at home, destructive inclinations in behavior to antisocial actions (Luyten & Fonagy, 2018). In order to reduce the potential risk factors for depression in children, parents should promote a healthy atmosphere in the family.
The Prevention of the Illness
In order to avoid childhood depression, it is crucial to organize the child’s daily routine appropriately. Parents should try to adhere to it constantly and pay attention to how kids spend their leisure time. That is, how much time they devote to the computer, walking, watching TV, socializing with friends. In kids, the prevention of depression is fundamental to understanding the cause of the poor mood of the child. (Luby et al., 2018) This could be a prolonged conflict with significant others, unsolved personal problems, frustration, or chronic stress. In such a situation, it is necessary to decrease the influence of the underlying traumatic reason or to attempt to change their own attitude toward the issue, reducing its importance. Another method to lower the probability of depression is physical activity and fresh air (Luby et al., 2018). If a person has developed traumatic experiences, the intervention of a child mental health counselor or psychotherapist should be considered.
The Intervention and Support
It is significant to mention that kids spend most of their time in school, which is why teachers need to be prepared to assist learners in addressing their depression. They should promote and enhance relationships with children, constantly talking about the issues that are disturbing to kids. At the same time, it is crucial that teachers not use negative learning methods that can traumatize children. For example, one should not use punishment, passive aggression, or the humiliation of a kid’s self-esteem to encourage them to study more efficiently (Luby et al., 2018). This is because such actions can increase the progression and exacerbation of depression. It is vital to create special curricula for teachers to assist learners who are depressed and cannot concentrate. It is possible, for example, to divide assignments into smaller parts, to offer additional assistance and correction (Luby et al., 2018). Consultation with the school psychologist and social worker is also essential if challenges arise.
They can advise on ways to support children through counseling or collaboration with families or other community organizations. At the same time, schools should provide individual sessions for kids suffering from depression with a psychologist on a confidential basis. In this way, children will feel supported by teachers, and their moods will enhance. It should be emphasized that society should also provide assistance to kids suffering from depression. The Maudsley Hospital Clinic in Abu Dhabi has two special facilities which help children and adolescents cope with depression. At the same time, the Counseling and Psychology Unit of RAK Hospital, Ras Al Khaimah, offers guidance to kids through a range of psychosocial, cognitive-behavioral, and bio-behavioral methods (Al-Yateem et al., 2020). These children can obtain treatment for communication, learning, and behavioral disabilities in order to return to a normal life.
Conclusion and Reflection
Hence, the most significant problem of childhood depression is that kids cannot explain why they feel depressed and cannot fully understand what is happening to them. As a result, they develop depression, which affects their emotional and behavioral state. This can be caused by family problems, parental misunderstandings, or issues at school. In fact, to ensure that the juvenile has a normal childhood, parents and teachers need to pay attention to the slightest changes in the kid’s behavior. Problems with mood swings, sleep disturbances, and withdrawal can be the first signs of a more significant challenge. If the child is depressed, it is essential to apply for professional assistance from psychologists.
During this assignment, I learned about the reasons for depression in kids and that this illness is standard at a young age. At the same time, the interesting information for me was that depression in children could be avoided with preventive methods. After writing this task, I was capable of evaluating the effectiveness of parents, teachers, and society’s timely reaction to the appearance of depression in children. In addition, I recognized effective support techniques for children that can enable them to cope with the disease.
References
Al-Yateem, N., Rossiter, R. C., Al-Shujairi, A., Radwan, H., Awad, M., Fakhry, R., & Mahmoud, I. (2020). Anxiety related disorders in adolescents in the United Arab Emirates: a population based cross-sectional study.BMC pediatrics, 20(1), 1-8.
Barch, D. M., Harms, M. P., Tillman, R., Hawkey, E., & Luby, J. L. (2019). Early childhood depression, emotion regulation, episodic memory, and hippocampal development.Journal of abnormal psychology, 128(1), 81-95.
Luby, J. L., Barch, D. M., Whalen, D., Tillman, R., & Freedland, K. E. (2018). A randomized controlled trial of parent-child psychotherapy targeting emotion development for early childhood depression.American Journal of Psychiatry, 175(11), 1102-1110.
Luyten, P., & Fonagy, P. (2018). The stress–reward–mentalizing model of depression: An integrative developmental cascade approach to child and adolescent depressive disorder based on the Research Domain Criteria approach.Clinical Psychology Review, 64, 87-98.