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| HOME > FOR FAMILIES > DISORDERS > DEPRESSION | |||
Depression Additional information about child and adolescent depression is available from: National Insititute of Mental Health For information on treatments for depression that are available through CARE-NET, see Studies.
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Depression is an illness known as a mood disorder. A lot of people around the world experience depression at some time in their lives. It is estimated that between 15 and 18 million Americans are currently suffering from depression. Many do not know they have depression and sometimes think that this is just how they will feel in life. People who are depressed usually don't like life too much because they don't feel very good most of the time. Sometimes a clinical depression can be "triggered" by a stressful life event (like a problem or a major change). Sometimes a clinical depression can occur because of changes in the brain even when there is no stressful situation or problem. A clinical depression can make a person feel so sad or angry that he or she has increasing problems in relationships, with school, with his or her health, or with all of those things. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual - IV (DSM-IV), a child with five or more of the following symptoms during the same two-week period may be diagnosed with a Major Depressive Disorder:
Almost one-third of young, prepubescent, clinically referred children with depression experience either hallucinations or delusions related to their depression. For example, they may hear voices telling them that they are worthless, or that the world is coming to an end, etc. These symptoms are usually associated with more severe depression and diminish as the depression remits. Between 10% and 15% of people with Major Depressive Disorder will have additional episodes that will involve manic or hypomanic symptoms at which point they would be reclassified as having a Bipolar Disorder. Effective treatments are available now, despite the enormous amount that still remains to be learned about the causes and treatments of depression. Depression in children and adolescents can be effectively treated, usually with a combination of medication and therapy. A newer class of medications called Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI's) are known to cause fewer side effects than some other antidepressants. Examples of these medications are fluoxetine (Prozac), sertaline (Zoloft) and paroxitine (Paxil). There are different classes of medications, and sometimes it may take trying different ones to find the medication that works best for your child. Psychotherapy involves the presence of an interested, but objective person (therapist) and the use of talking to define and resolve problems. There are many types of psychotherapy but only a few are designed to specifically treat depression. These are usually short-term therapies with a typical duration of six months or less. All psychotherapies aim at improving the person's social and personal functioning. Some therapies are designed to help the depressed person alter ways of thinking and viewing, while other therapies deal more with changing behavior and interaction patterns with others. As mentioned, a course of effective treatment usually involves a combination of medication and therapy.
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