Signs to Identify that your child is depressed

Depression is a mood disorder that causes constant sadness and loss of interest in doing things. Depression can be dangerous if not identified and treated on time, as it can harm an individual’s life. Depression is of various kinds, and it affects everyone differently. 

In children, major depressive disorder is easy to diagnose when the disorder is acute and occurs in a child without previous psychiatric symptoms.

A major depressive episode in a prepubertal child is likely to be manifest by somatic complaints, psychomotor, agitation, and mood-congruent hallucinations. Children can be reliable reporters about their emotions, relationships, and difficulties in psychosocial functions. They may, however, refer to depressive feelings in terms of anger, or feeling “mad”, rather than sad. 

Recent studies revealed that around 3% of children and 11.5% of the youth in India are the victims of depression. 

Depression in children can be because of various reasons, such as

• A chronic medical condition
• Stressful events at home, school or sometimes even with their peers
• Stressful environment at home
• Having family members with similar conditions

The symptoms of depression in children may include:

• Sad or bad mood. A child may seem sad, lonely, unhappy, or grouchy.
• Being self-critical. Kids going through depression may complain a lot.
• Lack of energy and effort.
• Not enjoying things.
• Sleep and eating changes.
• Aches and pains
• Uneven levels of certain hormones and chemicals. 

How do you identify if your child is ‘simply sad’ or going through ‘clinical depression’? 

Well, each child shows different signs, but the causes for this are all similar. If your child showcases the following signs, they could be suffering from clinical depression.

1. Crankiness and Anger

Crankiness and anger are the common emotions that children who are victims of clinical depression show. They seem constantly cranky and angered by the minutest things. Let’s say a child has asked for a toy, and the parents refuse to buy it for them. It can trigger them, and they get frustrated and create a nuisance until they are satisfied. 

2. Sadness and Hopelessness

While some children are angered and frustrated, some are constantly sad and always have a feeling that they are ‘not good enough’. They develop an inferiority complex and get pulled into that further. Children who go through these emotions are mostly the ones who are constantly bullied or cornered. They lack self-confidence and always keep it to themselves. As a parent, if you find your child quiet or frequently sad and disconnected, make sure that you talk to them and consult an expert if necessary. 

3. Social Withdrawal

Social withdrawal is another one of the signs shown by children who are being bullied or cornered. They feel that they are not accepted, and because of this, they always prefer to stay alone. They don’t like talking or interacting with others and have a constant feeling of being judged. 

4. Being more sensitive to rejection

Children who are depressed keep away from interacting with others because they feel that they are ‘not good enough’. These children might be emotionally sensitive or going through internal stress. Apart from that, they become very anxious and self-conscious when they are having a conversation with someone. More than anything, these children are the victims of self-criticism. They have inner turmoil and negative thoughts about themselves and start feeling excessively guilty, worthless and inadequate. 

5. Changes in appetite

You can identify children going through depression through their eating habits. During this phase, they are either too hungry or not hungry, even though they haven’t had food for long periods. It can give rise to many other health problems, including fatigue and tiredness. 

6. Change in sleep patterns

Depression can also hurt your child’s sleep patterns. They are too sleepy, or they don’t sleep at all. These unusual sleep patterns can be dangerous and can have an impact on the child’s daily life. 

7. Trouble Concentrating

Depressed children have difficulty concentrating because they are emotionally distressed and experience constant intrusive negative thoughts. Their lack of sleep and food intake can also cause fatigue and tiredness making it very difficult for them to concentrate. 

8. Physical complaints

When your children start complaining about stomachaches and headaches regularly and not responding to treatments, they may be going through an internal condition. The reason for constant headaches is that they keep thinking about various situations and self-criticise themselves for not being good enough. The reason that they may get stomachaches can be because of the unhealthy eating habits that they may have developed over a long period. 

9. Thoughts of death and suicide

Thoughts of death and suicide may not occur in everyone, but some children, who are very sensitive, tend to develop these feelings. These thoughts come to them because of hopelessness and despair, and their perception of reality leads them to negative and irrational thoughts. It is crucial to seek medical help and consult experts immediately if you see children exhibiting these thoughts.

Medically reviewed by Dr Sunitha MBBS, DPM (NIMHANS), DNB

Dr Sunitha serves as the Chief Psychiatrist at Agan Health Trichy. She specialises in Adult Psychiatry, and her fields of interest include consultation liaison psychiatry and women's mental health. With over 15 years of experience in the field of mental healthcare, Dr Sunitha has been instrumental in positively transforming the lives of many in Tamil Nadu. She is also a consulting psychiatrist at some of the reputed mental health institutions in Tamil Nadu.