Recognizing and Treating Childhood Depression

Childhood depression has become a serious disorder that worsened during and after the pandemic; in most cases it goes unnoticed by family members, warned the academic of the Faculty of Psychology of UNAM, Karla Suárez Rodríguez.

During her participation in the sixth cycle of UNAMirada conferences from Psychology, the specialist commented that it is difficult to diagnose it because it generally does not occur alone, it comes hand in hand with others such as attention deficit, anxiety or behavioral problems, which often generates confusion. It has symptoms that are known as internalizing, which are more related to cognitive and emotional issues.

In general, depression is defined as a common mental disorder that involves a depressed mood, determined by the loss of pleasure or disinterest in carrying out daily activities for long periods of time; it is related to sadness, feelings of guilt, lack of pleasure, low self-esteem and sleep and appetite disturbances.

In the case of girls, boys and adolescents, in addition to the above, isolation and loneliness also stand out. “They prefer to be alone and stay away from friends; they are also constantly irritable, get angry easily, their school performance drops due to lack of concentration or bad behavior, and they cry excessively,” he argued.

Suárez Rodríguez highlighted: according to data from the World Health Organization, before the pandemic, 5 percent of the world's population suffered from some degree of this disorder, while the prevalence in children and adolescents was 2.6 percent, figures that grew significantly during and after confinement.

Regarding the causes that cause it in children, he pointed out that they can arise from a genetic component that predisposes them to suffer from it, but above all there are socio-environmental factors that generate chronic stress.

This environment is created, for example, when parents fight permanently, or there is a situation of violence and abuse in the home.

So, these types of events, which sometimes do not have to be physical blows, that is, constant insults to minors telling them that they are useless, stupid or that they do not do things well, generate chronic stress and lead them to develop this disorder.

Another risk element could be a divorce, which they often fail to process, as well as the loss of a family member or a pet, she added.

One aspect that should not be lost sight of, the university student stressed, are the consequences in adult life, because contrary to what is thought, these types of illnesses do not disappear completely over time, and even less so when they did not undergo adequate treatment or therapy; therefore, the repercussions are usually painful.

“When they reach adolescence or adulthood, many of these people face dropping out of school, they take refuge in alcohol or drug use to escape from reality; they are constantly unemployed and have serious problems maintaining stable relationships,” she added.

Suárez Rodríguez considered that to detect symptoms in time, the most important thing is to improve communication with children, dedicate quality time to them and observe their daily behavior.

The most advisable thing is to go to health professionals with the ability to make an adequate diagnosis and choose the best care model.