Q: My 9 years old child has recently started eating and sleeping excessively. My doctor says that he is suffering from depression. However, I have never seen him depressed, sad or crying. How is it possible that he is suffering from depression?
A: Depression can be a symptom, a disorder by itself or part of a disorder. Manifestation of depression in a child depends on the age of the child.

In children, abnormal behavior, abnormal sleep rhythms, abnormal food habits, irritability, destructive behavior, poor attention or multiple vague illness (like recurrent chest infection, not gaining weight, and crankiness) may denote depression.

Precise manifestation depends on the age, pattern of family behavior and other contributory factors. The child may adopt symptoms of an illness that some person in the neighborhood may have suffered .

Q: What is depression?
A: The mind of an individual is a complex function of different faculties which includes the way an individual thinks, feels and perceives self and the surroundings. Disorder of one may lead to disorder of the other. Essentially, depression is disorder of mood where the person is sad, gloomy, does not enjoy habitually pleasurable activities or may complain of a flat mood. The person may have diminished interest in all activities. Associated with this, the person will have early morning awakening, increase or decrease in appetite, some body dysfunctions and difficulty in thinking clearly. His mind & body will move slowly. Children and adolescents like adults are prone to suicide.

Q: Is depression common in children? I thought only adult suffered from depression?
A: Depression is seen at all ages. Infact, the first peak is seen in adolescents. There is a frightful rise in adolescent suicides. Suffering from depression may be an important cause. Second peak is seen in midlife. After the age of sixty years, the incidence of depression increases per every decade.

Q: How does depression occur?
A: Depression is a biochemical disorder. Changes in body biochemistry essentially affect a particular chemical in the brain called the serotonin and Onorepinephrine. Hence, antidepressants (drugs which modify serotonin and norepinephrine levels in the brain) are the treatment of choice.

Psychosocial factors may trigger the imbalance, exacerbate the disorder or perpetuate the illness.

Q: Is depression recurrent?
A: Yes, depression is known to be a recurrent illness.



Last created on 03-05-2001
Last updated on 18-11-2006