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Depression is a serious mental health disorder that can affect anyone regardless of their age, gender, or ethnicity. A person suffering from depression may experience feelings of sadness, loss, or anger, although the symptoms can vary from mild to severe. Depression is regarded as a serious medical condition that can worsen over time and heavily impact someone’s mental health without proper treatment.
Studies show that the rates of depression in children have been on the rise. According to the National Survey of Children’s Health survey, 3.2% of children (or around 1.9 million) ages 3 to 17 in the US suffer from depression.1
Depression in children has increased over time. In 2003, 5.4% of children ages 6-17 said they have been diagnosed with either anxiety or depression at some point in their life. The number grew to 8% in 2007 and 8.4% in 2011-2012.2
Although there are many types of depressive disorders, the most common types of depression in children include bipolar depression, major depressive disorder, and high-functioning depression.
Bipolar depression can happen as part of bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder is characterized by an emotional state swinging back and forth from high to low. It is most commonly diagnosed in older children and teenagers, although it can happen in children of any age.
The child may experience periods of intense joy or heightened activity, followed by bouts of severe depression with feelings of sadness, irritability, and agitation.
Major depressive disorder (MMD) is a severe condition in which the child experiences episodes of depression. The condition can be diagnosed if the child experiences at least five symptoms for more than two weeks and the symptoms cause significant impairment in the child’s ability to function.
In 2016, around 12.8% of children ages 12-17 in the US were diagnosed with at least one major depressive episode. Studies show that an estimated 8% of adolescents diagnosed with MDD have committed suicide. Major depressive disorder makes suicide the second leading cause of death among adolescents 12-17 years of age.3
High-functioning depression is the third of the three most common types of depression in children. It is a milder mood disorder than MDD. Although the symptoms are milder, this type of chronic depression is longer lasting than other forms of depression. For a child to be diagnosed with high functioning depression, they must experience the symptoms of depression for at least one year.
The child may appear to be completely normal and show no signs of emotional distress or impairment in their day-to-day life. Compared to children with MDD, children with high functioning depression can attend school and participate in activities in a normal manner. Parents of these children may think their child is shy or introverted rather than suffering from high functioning depression.
These symptoms are common for all types of depression in children, including bipolar depression and major depressive disorder.
There are several ways of diagnosing the types of depression in children, including:
These symptoms are common for all types of depression in children, including bipolar depression and major depressive disorder.
There are no specific tests that can detect childhood depression with 100% certainty. However, tools such as depression tests and interviews by a mental health professional can help make an accurate diagnosis. In fact, a depression test can be a valuable first step toward getting treatment.
If you notice that your child exhibits symptoms of depression, take a screener test and bring the results to your pediatrician or mental health professional for evaluation. Your primary care doctor may also be able to do the screening.
The Beck Depression Inventory is a multiple-choice inventory that evaluates key symptoms of depression. It includes 21 items that reflect the most common symptoms and attitudes in clinically depressed individuals. It tests for symptoms such as mood, sense of failure, suicidal ideas, social withdrawal, loss of appetite, etc.
ICD is a medical classification list created by the World Health Organization (WHO). ICD-10 is the tenth revision of that list. It contains codes for diseases, along with signs and symptoms, complaints, abnormal findings, social circumstances, and external causes of injury or diseases. General practitioners may use ICD-10 as a screening tool to assess depression in symptomatic patients.
DSM-5 is the standard classification of mental disorders used by clinicians, researchers, and public health officials in the United States. It serves as the principal authority for diagnosing mental health disorders, including depression. A child’s symptoms must fit the criteria outlined in the DSM-5 for them to be diagnosed with depression.
According to the criteria, an individual must be experiencing five or more of the symptoms listed in the DSM-5 during two weeks. In addition, the individual should either have symptoms of depressed mood or loss of interest or pleasure.
Depression medications are sometimes prescribed to alleviate the symptoms of depression in children. Clinicians prescribe medications if the patient is suffering from more severe depression or if therapy alone is not effective in treating the condition. The FDA has approved some depression medications for use in children, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) like Zoloft, Prozac, and Lexapro, and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) like Strattera and Cymbalta.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy is an effective treatment for depression in children. It is a type of therapy that addresses the relationship between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. CBT typically involves active participation in self-directed learning about one’s thought processes and how these relate to moods and behavior patterns.
DBT is a type of psychotherapy that focuses on interpersonal relationships and emotions. It is an empirically validated treatment for depression, with research showing it has the highest rates of success in treating suicidal patients who have failed to get better from other treatments. DBT therapy for children adds an extensive parent training component to the model to fit the needs of children in this age range.
Speaking with a child psychiatrist can help your child learn skills to cope with negative feelings. They may educate your child about their depressive disorder and offer the best coping strategies to help with managing the symptoms.
Pacific Beach Health is the community’s only outpatient provider specialized in integrative behavioral health care.
If you are looking for help or would like to schedule a consultation, we are ready to help you today.
