Depression Isn't Just a Grown-up Problem
Depression affects a growing number of children and teenagers. An expert advises parents and teachers on how to recognize warning signs and describes the treatments most commonly used to treat depression in kids . . .
Friday, May 30, 2003
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Durham, N.C. -- We think of childhood as a carefree
time, but for some young people it's a period when they may be at
risk for major depression. Dr. John March, chief of Child and
Adolescent Psychiatry at Duke University Medical Center, says the
problem of childhood depression is greater than most of us
realize.
"Although it used to be thought that depression didn't occur in children or adolescents, it turns out that it's actually quite common. About one in 20 kids, that's five percent of kids, will have a major depressive episode."
March says parents and teachers should be alert to changes in a child's behavior: loss of interest in friends and activities, changes in sleep patterns, loss of appetite, trouble concentrating or suicidal thoughts or behaviors. As for treating childhood depression, he says there's good news about talk therapy and medication, either separately or in combination.
