Depression can be seen in children of all ages. It is manifested by depressed mood, thoughts of worthlessness, and decreased enthusiasm in games, sports, friendships, and school activities. The main symptoms of major depression are similar in children, adolescents and adults; There may be changes in the expression of symptoms according to the age and developmental level of the person.
Depression may present with symptoms of depressed mood or irritability, loss of interest or pleasure. Failure of the child to gain expected weight, insomnia or hypersomnia (excessive sleepiness), restlessness or decreased activity, tiredness or loss of energy, feelings of worthlessness or inappropriate guilt, decreased ability to concentrate on thinking and thoughts, and recurrent Thoughts of death can be symptoms of depression. These symptoms should cause a deterioration in social or school performance.
Early-onset mood disorders tend to be chronic (continuous). Functional impairment in depressive disorder in children can affect practically all areas of the child’s psychosocial world; school performance and behavior at school, friendships and family relationships may deteriorate. Depressive hallucinations often have a humiliating or suicidal content, in the form of an outsider running. Depressive delusions are about themes of guilt, physical illness, death, nihilism, deserving punishment, personal inadequacy, and sometimes hostility. Delusions are infrequent before puberty, possibly due to insufficient cognitive maturation.
The diagnosis of depression in children and adolescents should be made by a child and adolescent psychiatrist. Medication is effective in the treatment of depression. In appropriate cases, psychotherapy can be applied.
