Is a timebomb of depression in our children set to explode?
TODAY 1,000 children in Sheffield will be depressed.
Not because they can't have a Playstation 3, sleep over at their mate's house or any other of the day-to-day annoyances of modern childhood.
They will be withdrawn, unable to sleep, feeling useless, worthless, unloved. Some will feel suicidal.
They will be clinically depressed.
That's the shocking state of the city's mental health according to experts who treat sufferers and help them cope with the crippling negativity they feel about themselves and their lives.
It's often difficult for parents to spot the signs – especially those brought up in an era when 'fed-up' kids were treated to an ice-cream or a clip round the ear to snap them out of their sulk. But medics now recognise children as young as five can be affected.
Dr Rick Hughes is a Consultant Adolescent and Childhood Psychiatrist for Sheffield's Children's NHS Trust.
"When you talk about depression in adolescents and children you are talking about something more than briefly being miserable or sad because of a setback," said Dr Hughes one of eight NHS Trust Adolescent and Childhood Psychiatrists in Sheffield.
'The message though is that depression in young people is rare'
Dr Rick Hughes
"We are talking about severe symptoms for several weeks having a serious impact on their well-being and ability to function. The message though is that depression in young people is rare. Among primary school age children it's less than one per cent.
"It is more common after puberty, three to four per cent of teenagers might suffer from depression.
"In Sheffield one per cent of children is 1,000 people but they will probably be teenagers rather than young children."
It may be related to the changes in young people's bodies in the teenage years, physiological changes to hormones and the brain. Underlying causes are an area of current research.
Nationally the numbers of depressed children is on the increase but Dr Hughes is wary of pinpointing increases in Sheffield.
“We are becoming more alert to children’s mental health issues and more curious about them,” said Dr Hughes who has worked in the city for the past 15 years.
It’s difficult to assess whether increased awareness is bringing more problems to light or whether the numbers are actually increasing.
“There are signs that some children’s mental health problems are increasing but it’s hard to be certain about depression.”
Depression can cause distress, or difficulty coping with schoolwork, or affect relationships with friends and family.
Other people usually notice the young person is not their usual self, although parents are not always aware of how unwell their child is - often adolescents will open up to friends first.
After the age of about eight, the symptom patterns of depression are similar to those of adults but children and adolescents may seem irritable rather than sad, which can be confusing, particularly if the young person withdraws and shuts themselves away.
“Children who become depressed are often living in difficult circumstances and there may well be stresses in their day to day lives,” adds Dr Hughes.
“Bullying, bereavement, problems at home, parents marital difficulties and domestic violence can all play a part. Depression may be a flag that makes practitioners aware that there is underlying mistreatment or abuse.
Are today materially-blessed kids more likely to be depressed than previous generations?
“Some of the reasons children get depressed like family life, exam stress and peer relations have always been there. I do not know whether we live in a more competitive world and if that makes things harder. It’s hard to say.”
“Some children, because of their temperament are just more susceptible to depression than others. The best thing for a young person to do is to tell someone how they are feeling. If they can’t talk to their parents it is a problem but there are teachers and friends.”
But Alexandra Massey, author of Happy Kids believes the problem is building nationally.
“We’ve got this time bomb waiting to happen – so many adults are going to be depressed when this generation grows up.”
Anjula Mutanda, resident psychological therapist on ITV1’s This Morning, says the vital thing is to educate yourself so you can easily pick up if your child has a problem.
“Depression is one of those things we don’t exactly know the cause of, and there is usually more than one factor involved. With some people it could be a chemical imbalance, or depression can run in families.
“Parents really need to educate themselves about the signs and the symptoms,” Mutanda continues.FACTFILE
WHAT is childhood depression?
Young people who are depressed can have difficulty identifying their feelings. The symptoms of depression, such as occasionally feeling sad and tearful, are common in young people and are temporary.
Depressive illness is on a different scale, with the mood disturbance occurring most of the time, during most days and over several weeks.
It is often accompanied by other symptoms such as:
Loss of interest in activities they usually enjoy
Short concentration span
Lack of energy
Becoming clingy
Prolonged sadness or unhappiness
Complains about ailments that don't seem to have a cause
Disruption in sleep pattern
Drop in school performance and bad behaviour in class
Major changes in appetite and weight
Withdrawn, angry, nervous, irritable or sulky
Low self esteem, is negative about life and thinks nobody likes them
Is physically agitated
Contemplating suicide or is self-harming
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Friday 25 May 2012
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