A study published in JAMA Pediatrics found that depression diagnoses increased by 27% for children ages three to seventeen between 2016 and 2020. This doesn’t even account for the jumps we saw during the pandemic. Depression in children also has a high co-occurrence with anxiety and behavioral issues. But how do we know if a child is depressed? Surely the symptoms are the same as adolescents and adults? Not entirely!
Depression symptoms in children occasionally aligns with traditional symptoms. This can include changes in psychomotor activity and decreases in concentration. But research by Son and Kirchner found that children can also present with additional symptoms not commonly considered to be signs of depression. The National Institute of Mental Health expands the list of possible symptoms further. Their list includes frequent tantrums, increase in discussion of fears, complaints of physical illness, sudden decline in academic performance, and repetitive behaviors checking for safety.
Such other signs increase the risk that children whose symptoms do not align with adult presentation will not receive proper diagnosis and treatment. For example, parents or teachers might assume a child has “behavioral problems”. Or healthcare professionals identifying other diagnoses where symptoms are more prevalent, such as ADHD or Oppositional Defiant Disorder. The potential for inaccurate diagnosis leads to treatment that is not beneficial to the client.
Pros: Being aware of whether a child has depression and at what severity allows for a more precise treatment plan. It also creates a greater understanding of what interventions will most benefit the youth. In addition, there are assessments that can measure depression in children. The Children’s Depression Inventory is a modification of the Beck Depression Inventory for children between seven and seventeen.
Limits: The Children’s Depression Inventory cost money. Additionally, some parents may be resistant to the idea of their child having depression. After all, it can be hard to believe that your child who seemingly has energy to throw a ginormous fit and run around the house checking door handles has depression. Not to mention the misconception that children have nothing to be depressed about.
We can easily miss depression in young children when we don’t know the symptoms specific to young children. A greater understanding of signs of depression in youth saves time and effort for parents and clinicians when addressing treatment options!
