Describe possible causes of depression for children and young people

Can having children cure depression? Can parents help children to avoid depression? How to prevent childhood depression?

There are many reasons that children and teenagers can suffer with depression including: Genetic vulnerability. Research has shown that children whose parents suffer with depression are three times more likely to suffer themselves , suggesting a genetic link.

Sometimes depression is triggered by one difficult event, such as parents separating , a bereavement or problems with school or other children. Depression is thought to occur in about 1- of children and young people. Anybody can suffer from depression and it affects people of all ages, ethnicities, and social backgrounds.

It is more common in older adolescents , particularly teenage girls , but can affect children of any age. Usually, more than one is present in a child. For a child to get depressed , there must either be major things wrong with their lives, something major wrong with their body and or min or a strong family history of depression.

The symptoms of depression in children and young people include changes in moo thinking and behaviour.

The key symptoms are: persistent sadness or low ( irritable ) mood. General symptoms of depression , regardless of age, include having a depressed or irritable mood or loss of interest or pleasure for at least two weeks and having at least five clinical signs and symptoms. To diagnose depression ,. There are a number of different factors that can contribute to childhood depression: Some potential risk factors include: Brain chemistry. Imbalances in certain neurotransmitters and hormones may play a role in how the brain works. This can affect moods and emotions and increase the risk of experiencing depression.

Generalised anxiety disorder ( GAD ) can cause young people to become extremely worried. Very young children or children starting or moving school may have separation anxiety. Many of those young people also have symptoms of depression , for which GPs can prescribe medications such as fluoxetine (Prozac). It has become obvious that young people are suffering more and more with these types of mental health issues.

In some people, a chronic illness causes depression. A chronic illness is an illness that lasts for a very long time and usually cannot be cured completely. However, chronic illnesses can often be controlled through diet, exercise, lifestyle habits, and certain medications. How common is depression in children ? The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that at least 3.

The American Academy of Adolescent Psychiatry estimates this number to be. Suicide is the third leading cause of death in young people between the ages of and 24. As in adults, depression in children can be caused by any combination of factors that relate to physical health, life events, family history, environment, genetic vulnerability and biochemical disturbance. People often say they are ‘feeling depressed’ about something, but this doesn’t mean they have depression. As with depression in adults, the provision of interventions for children and young people who get depressed is significantly limited by public stigma, a failure to detect or recognise depression , and the way that services are organised for this group of young people.

When it comes to mental health issues in young people , it can help to think about things in terms of risk and protective factors. Every child and family will experience difficulties and challenges (risk factors) and each will have some resources and strengths to help through difficult times (protective factors). Sometimes young people can manage the stress caused by these situations.

At other times, several situations can come together at once and may cause too much stress. Or, one situation alone could feel overwhelming. Too much stress can impact negatively on young people ’s health both emotionally and physically. It can affect adults, adolescents, and children. In this section you can find information on the following possible causes of depression : childhood experiences.

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