Depression In Preschoolers
Research shows that
depression is hitting kids as young as three
(( This text is a resume of Luby’s research on early depression))
BY HALA ELM
Depression is hitting at younger ages. Luby’s research from Washington University in St. Louis
as well as other studies now counter that view.
Joan
Luby, a principal investigator on the study, and professor of child psychiatry
at WUSM, has been following - for several years - a group of individuals
diagnosed with depression during their preschool years.
Her findings show
that young children report similar depressive symptoms as adults, but exhibit
the symptoms differently. Children, for
instance, who are depressed can’t find pleasure in any fun activities an and
they can’t have fun doing anything, from playing, to watching television, to
going on vacation. They are miserable most of the time regardless of activity.
Luby pointed out that depression in children as young as
three years of age is real and not just a passing grumpy mood. Luby points out that until fairly recently,
“people really haven’t paid much attention to depression disorders in children
under the age of six because children under six were too emotionally immature
to experience it.”
Luby found that
the preschoolers who came into her study and were diagnosed as depressed were
four times as likely to be depressed two years later compared to a control
group of healthy children.
An ongoing study
funded by the National Institutes of Mental Health and conducted by researchers
at Washington University School of Medicine (WUSM) attempts to pinpoint and
understand psychiatric disorders in preschoolers, and one aspect of the study
focuses specifically on preschool-aged depression.
The research
studied the temper tantrums of 270 children between the ages of 3 and 5. Those
children identified with having a major depressive disorder (MDD) either
exclusively, or MDD along with a
disruptive disorder such as ADHD ), showed more extreme aggressive behavior
toward a caregiver, parent, or object such as a toy. They also displayed self-injurious behaviors.
Beware that depression is now diagnosed in even toddlers!
The sooner our children get the right
diagnosis and the right treatment, the better the prognosis. A child today is ten times more likely to be
seriously depressed compared to a child born in the first third of this
century.
Almost one-third of thirteen-year olds have marked
depressive symptoms.
By the time they finish high
school, almost 15 percent have had an episode of major
depression.
One thing most child development researchers agree is
that when depression is diagnosed early and properly treated, kids almost can
be helped and feel better. And the
earlier you seek treatment the better.
Reference:
Reference:
ttp://www.allpsychologycareers.com/topics/depression-in-preschoolers.html
Depression Signs in a
Preschooler:
Verbal skills are limited so will have trouble describing
feelings. Look for loss of pleasure in play (or inability to enjoy playtime) as
well as frequent and unexplained stomachaches, headaches, and fatigue;
overactive and excessive restlessness; irritability or low tolerance for
frustration; frequent sadness.
Signs and symptoms of possible early childhood
depression:
Hopelessness
Inability to enjoy activities
Persistent boredom
Children who prefer to be alone
To see What
Depression Looks Like in Children By Stages and Ages, Please Refer to:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32271786/ns/health-childrens_health/t/kids-young-can-have-chronic-depression/
Kids as young as 3 can have chronic depression
http://www.coparenting.co.za/articles.php?art_id=62&art_cat_id=17
http://coparenting.co.za/articles.php?art_id=62&art_cat_id=10
http://www.oregonlive.com/health/index.ssf/2009/08/depression_can_be_chronic_in_c.html
The Big Book of Parenting Solutions: 101 Answers to Your Everyday
Challenges and Wildest Worries. More specific recommendations, up-to-date research and
parenting solutions are provided in the chapter on Depression.
Child and
adolescent psychiatrist, David Fassler, MD, offers these signs of childhood
depression in his must-read book, “Help Me, I’m Sad!”
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