Depression in children and young people: information for young
people
About this leaflet
This is one in a series of
leaflets for parents, teachers and young people entitled Mental
Health and Growing Up. The aims of these leaflets are to
provide practical, up-to-date information about mental health
problems (emotional, behavioural and psychiatric disorders) that
can affect children and young people. This leaflet looks at how to
recognise depression, and what you can do to help yourself or
someone else who is suffering from depression.
What is
depression?
Most people, children as
well as adults, feel low or `blue' occasionally. Feeling sad is a
normal reaction to experiences that are stressful or upsetting.
When these feelings go on
and on, or dominate and interfere with your whole life, it can
become an illness. This illness is called `depression'.
Depression is less common in children under 12 years old, but
increases after that, affecting 5 in every 100 teenagers.
How do I know if I have
depression?
- Being moody and irritable -
easily upset, `ratty' or tearful.
- Becoming withdrawn -
avoiding friends, family and regular activities.
- Feeling guilty or bad,
being self-critical and self-blaming - hating yourself.
- Feeling unhappy, miserable
and lonely a lot of the time.
- Feeling hopeless and
wanting to die.
- Finding it difficult to
concentrate.
- Not looking after your
personal appearance.
- Changes in sleep pattern:
sleeping too little or too much.
- Tiredness and lack of
energy.
- Changes in appetite.
- Frequent minor health
problems, such as headaches or stomach-aches.
- Some people believe they
are ugly, guilty and have done terrible things.
- Not enjoying things
anymore.
If you have all or most of
these signs and have had them over a long period of time, it may
mean that you are depressed. You may find it very difficult to talk
about how you are feeling.
What causes
depression?
Depression is usually caused
by a mixture of things, rather than any one thing alone.
- Events or personal
experiences can be a trigger. These include family
breakdown, the death or loss of someone you love, neglect, abuse,
bullying and physical illness. Depression can also be triggered if
too many changes happen in your life too quickly.
- Risk
factors
People are more at risk of becoming depressed if they are under a
lot of stress, have no one to share their worries with, and lack
practical support.
- Biological
factors
Depression may run in families due to genetic factors. It is also
more common in girls and women compared to boys.
Depression seems to be
linked with chemical changes in the part of brain that controls
mood. These changes prevent normal functioning of the brain and
cause many of the symptoms of depression.
Where can I get
help?
There are a lot of things
that can be done to help people who suffer from depression.
Simply talking to someone
you trust, and who you feel understands, can lighten the burden. It
can also make it easier to work out practical solutions to
problems. For example, if you are stressed out by exams, you should
talk to your teacher or school counsellor.
If you are worried about
your health, you should go and see your GP. Here are some things to
remember:
- talk to someone who can
help;
- keep as active and occupied
as possible, but don't overstress yourself and allow for fun and
leisure time;
- you are not alone -
depression is a common problem and can be overcome.
- How parents and
teachers can help
It can be very hard to put
their feelings into words, but it is important to let them know
that you are feeling low so that they can be supportive and help
you feel better by listening.
When specialist help is
needed
If the depression is
dragging on and causing serious difficulties, it's important to
seek treatment. Your family doctor will be able to advise you about
what help is available and to arrange a referral to the local
child and adolescent mental
health service (CAMHS). The CAMHS service will carry
out a careful assessment and discuss what is the right treatment
for you.
Many young people will get
better on their own with support and understanding. For those whose
symptoms are severe and persistent, cognitive behavioural therapy
(CBT) for 3 months can help. CBT is a type of talking treatment
that helps someone understand their thoughts, feelings and
behaviour. Other talking therapies which can be helpful include
family therapy and interpersonal
therapy, both of which may be available from your
CAMHS service.
Antidepressant
medication may also be needed if CBT isn't
enough. Antidepressant medication needs to be taken for six
months after you feel better. Mild depression should not be treated
with antidepressants, but instead with general help and
support.
There is evidence that some
antidepressants called SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Re-uptake
Inhibitors) can help. Fluoxetine, which is an SSRI antidepressant,
can be used for young people and research has shown that the
benefits outweigh the risks.
Although none of the
antidepressants are licensed for use in people under the age of 18,
they can be prescribed by child and adolescent psychiatrists, after
a careful assessment. Weekly monitoring of how the young person is
feeling will happen in the first four weeks, and then regularly
after that.
Recommended reading
References
Carr, A. (ed.) (2000)
'What Works with Children and Adolescents?' - A Critical Review
of Psychological Interventions with Children, Adolescents and their
Families. London: Brunner-Routledge.
Rutter, M. & Taylor, E.
(eds) (2002) 'Child and Adolescent Psychiatry' (4th edn).
London: Blackwell.
Scott, A., Shaw, M. &
Joughin, C. (eds) (2001) 'Finding the Evidence' - A Gateway to
the Literature in Child and Adolescent Mental Health (2nd
edn). London: Gaskell.
NICE (2005) ‘Depression in
children and young people’ Clinical Guidelines
CG28.
Sources of further
information
'Changing
Minds: Mental Health: What it is, What to do, Where to
go?' A multi-media CD-ROM on mental health that looks
at depression.
ChildLine
provides a free and confidential telephone service for children.
Helpline: 0800 1111.
The Samaritans provide a
24-hour service offering confidential emotional support to anyone
who is in crisis. Helplines 08457 909090 (UK); 1850 609090 (ROI);
e-mail: jo@samaritans.org.
YoungMinds
provides information and advice on child mental health issues.
Or you may want to
look at these websites:
Series
editor: Dr Mona Freeman
Editorial Board: Child and Family Public
Education Editorial Board.
Revised: December 2009; next due for review: December
2011.
© [2004] Royal College of
Psychiatrists. This leaflet may be downloaded, printed out,
photocopied and distributed free of charge as long as the Royal
College of Psychiatrists is properly credited and no profit is
gained from its use. Permission to reproduce it in any other way
must be obtained from the Head
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