DEPRESSION PART II
Depression symptoms and signs in teenagers
In addition to becoming more irritable, teens
might lose interest in activities they formerly enjoyed, experience a change in
their weight, and start abusing substances. They may also take more risks, show
less concern for their safety, and they are more likely to complete suicide
than their younger counterparts when depressed. Generally a condition in
adolescents, acne
increases the risk of depression in teens.
Depression symptoms and signs in children
Since babies,
toddlers,
and preschool children
are usually unable to express their feelings in words, they tend to show
sadness in their behaviors. For example, they may become withdrawn, resume old,
younger behaviors (regress), or fail to thrive. School-age children might
regress in their schooling, develop physical complaints, anxiety, or
irritability. Interestingly, some children may try more to please others when
depressed as a way of compensating for their low self-esteem. Therefore, their
good grades and apparently good relationships with others may make depression
harder to recognize.
Children and adolescents with depression may also experience the classic
symptoms as adults as described above, but they may exhibit other symptoms
instead of or in addition to those symptoms, including the following:
- Poor school performance
- Persistent boredom
- Frequent complaints of physical problems such as headaches and stomachaches
Some of the classic "adult" symptoms
of depression may also be more or less obvious during childhood compared to the
actual emotions of sadness, such as a change in eating or sleeping patterns.
(Has the child or teen lost or gained weight in recent weeks or months? Does he
or she seem more tired than usual?)
