How To Get Help For Depression in children

Characteristics of Depression In Children


You can see that times of depressed mood make up a normal part of your child's life. You even expect such periods at times of stress or change, especially following such serious losses as the death of a loved or the loss of a good peer. So how can you tell whether your child needs treatment for clinical depression?

Three features distinguish normal depressed moods from clinical depression in childhood: how much (degree), how deep (pervasiveness), and how long (duration). Clinical depression isn't a passing sad mood, but involves a marked interruption of mood that stays for most of the day, nearly every day, and lasts for at least two weeks. Childhood depression is becoming more and more apparent amongst children and teens. Currently 1 out of 8 teens has depression, and that number seems to be popular from year to year. Often children and teens do not get the mental health services that they need , not because their guardians are not paying attention, but because parents often have difficulty identifying depression in kids and teens. Children and adolescents are notoriously reticent in describing their feelings of sadness often linked with depression. Instead, kids and teens witness depression through a contrasting set of symptoms commonly seen in adults.


A psychotherapist or psychologist diagnoses depression by watching and interviewing the child and by talking to the guardians or other people familiar with the child's symptoms, mood and nature . Becoming aware of the signs of depression can alert parents to seek the professional help the child may need.


The following are symptoms that parents should look for in their children: frequent headaches, frequent stomachaches, changes in appetite, changes in sleep patterns, inattention, lack of energy, and social isolation. Children who present with several of these symptoms may be experiencing from depression, and may need to be evaluated by a mental health professional such as a psychotherapist in order to obtain relief from their symptoms, and avoid further psychological complications occurring from untreated depression.


Kaynaz Nasseri is a psychologist specializing in therapy for depression in children. Herclinical psychology practice is located in Newport Beach, but she helps patients that visit her from all of Southern California, including Orange County, San Diego, and Los Angeles.