Depression In Children
Depression with children has been generally ignored and credited to the teenage years just showing the bad attitude of the teenager, but depression is just as common in children and teenagers as in adults. Depression can lead to a greater risk of other mental disorders and chronic health problems such as Asthma. Children are often unsociable and very tired all of the time, and very few children who have depression receive medication.
What is Depression?
Depression is a mental disorder that often lessens the joy a person can find, or it makes children very irritable Depression is usually accompanied with a dramatic change in appetite or weight, difficulty sleeping, oversleeping, fatigue/loss of energy, a feeling of worthlessness, difficulty thinking, and/or thoughts of death or suicide. Depression makes a person think slower and reduces their ambition and capabilities both academically and otherwise. Depression is more commonly diagnosed in adults, but it is as common or more common in children.
Why Is It A Worry?
50,000 teens attempt to commit suicide [per year] and about 5,000 teens [5%] succeed, an apocalyptic number. Anyone suffering from depression is going to not be able to think as quickly and with the same mental capability as they otherwise would be able to. Depression in children causes irritability that can push children and their family apart and lead to them running with gangs and sniffing drugs.