1 / 29

Depression in children

Depression in children. Dr.Ksh. Chourjit Singh Prof. of Pediatrics Regional Institute of Medical Sciences, Imphal National Chairperson, Growth & Development Chapter, IAP National Executive Board Member Advisor HIV/AIDS in Children Task Force, Manipur State. Past President, East Zone, IAP

nyssa-casey
Download Presentation

Depression in children

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. Depression in children Dr.Ksh. Chourjit Singh Prof. of Pediatrics Regional Institute of Medical Sciences, Imphal National Chairperson, Growth & Development Chapter, IAP National Executive Board Member Advisor HIV/AIDS in Children Task Force, Manipur State. Past President, East Zone, IAP President, NNF, Manipur State Branch

  2. Introduction • Depression in school-age children and adolescents remain a long-overlooked Health problem • As prevalent as in adults • Common cold of mental illness – Clinical Depression • Specially in childhood – is a major health problem

  3. Severity of Problem • 5% children at any given time • 1% of Pre-school children • 2% of school-age children • 5% of adolescents are affected • 25-50% of all children & adolescents in Psychiatric treatment are for depression & its related problems • More common in boys than girls – 5:1 school-age children • Adolescent girls than boys - 2:1

  4. Severity of Problem …. Untreated Depression can be taken as important cause of suicide in adolescents, even adults

  5. Why depression in young ? A) Risk factors • Children referred to mental health providers for school problems • Children with medical problems • Asthma • Diabetes • Epilepsy • Many chronic childhood diseases

  6. Why depression in young ? ……. • Law and order problems • Frequent bandh/ strikes • Frequent school closures • Ethnic group clashes • Insecure feelings • Conflict environment • Watching television a lot i.e. more than 6 hours a day

  7. Risk factors ….. • Rural vrs Urban children • Sexually harassed children • Children with family history of depression • Genetically potential • What is happening in an individual child’s life

  8. B) Why depression runs in families • Genetics • Even if a child never contacts with depressed parents, child may also likely to be depressed • Marital difficulties • Broken family/ marital problems • Divorce plus depression in parents • Parenting problems • Hard to be good parent when depressed • Parenting problems whether from parents or from child

  9. C) Can experience depression at any age – Presentation? • Shortly after birth & very young • Failure to thrive • Disrupted attachments to others • Developmental delays • Social withdrawal • Separation anxiety • Sleeping and eating problems

  10. C) Chance of depression at any age… • Between 6-12 years of age • Fatigue • Sadness • Inability to feel pleasure • Irritability & Insomnia • Lack of self esteem • Stomach ache and headache

  11. C) Chance of depression at any age… • Hallucinations • Agitation & extreme fears • Weight changes • Difficulty with school work • Apathy • Lack of Motivation • Social withdrawal

  12. C) Chance of depression at any age… • Adolescent • Over-sleeping • Socially isolated • Acting out in self destructive ways • Sense of hopelessness • Despairing thoughts • Weight changes

  13. Future of depressed school-age children • If untreated in time – affects the children • School performance and learning • Social interaction and development of normal peer relationships • Self-esteem and life skill acquisition • Parent-child relationship & sense of bonding

  14. Future of depressed school-age children…. • Lack of trust – can lead to Substance abuse • Disruptive behaviour • Violence and Aggression • Legal troubles and even suicide Depression thinking can become part of a child’s developing personality, leaving long-term effects in place for the rest of the child’s life.

  15. Behavioural changes – What? • Professional attention decreases • Classroom disruption • Expulsion from school • School failure • Injury to themselves or others • Symptoms ADHD • Truancy • Delinquency

  16. Stress in students leading to depression • Parental pressure to perform and to stand out among other children • If not come up to expectations • Frustration • Physical stress • Aggression • Undesirable complexes

  17. Stress in students leading to depression… Under-Performers • Negative traits • Shyness • Unfriendliness • Jealousy • World to loner

  18. Over-scheduling a student’s life • Non-availability of time for extra-curricular activities after school • No proper place for ventilation & breathing space • Unwanted learning like music, painting or outstanding in sports • Too many crammed schedule & unmindful of the children’s choice • Unadjusted school systems and tremendous amount of homework – spending their evenings, weekends and vacations

  19. Over-scheduling a student’s life… • Loss of interest in studies • Under-perform due to excess academic pressure Students often carry enormous amount of anxiety and negative personal traits & massive attention problems • Non-effortless learning • Physio-Psychological transition of students • Mainly affected elementary to Junior High School

  20. Diagnostic Points • Transient depression or sadness • Impairment in child’s ability to function • Two types • Dysthymic disorder • Major depressions • Dysthymic disorder – less severe but lasts longer • Chronic depression/Irritability > 1 year

  21. Diagnostic Points …. • Onset about 7 years of age • 2-6 symptoms within 5 years • Leads to major depression/ Double depression • Untreated Dysthymic disorder will experience Remission within 6 years • Prevalence of depression increases with age – 5 percent of all teens

  22. What can be done • Diagnostic evaluation – success to treatment • All disorders be discovered and addressed • Medication • Mood stabilisers • Anti-anxiety • Anti-depressants • Stimulants

  23. What can be done…Individual therapy • Often beneficial for patients & specially help with issues • Family conflicts • Self-esteem • Relaxation strategies • Mood and anger control • Better communication

  24. School environment • Interaction • School Counsellor • Principal • Psychologist • Teachers and Parents • Psycho-educational treatment • Speech and occupational therapy

  25. School environment… • Counselling • Curriculum modification • Resource classes • Behavioural modification system • Self-contained classrooms

  26. Home/ Parental environment • Family and Home modification\ • Homely life environment

  27. Family therapy • Defining Family members role and responsibility • Better communication & behavioural Reward systems

  28. Don’t overload your child with too many after-school activities and responsibilities. Let children learn to pace themselves. Don’t enrol them in every class along and don’t expect them to be first in everything.

  29. Thank you

More Related