NOVEMBER 2016 MIAMI for web

HEALTHY KIDS
IS YOUR CHILD DEPRESSED?
Don’t Wonder, Find Out. Here’s How
The tragic death of Robin Williams in 2014 unnerved many Americans.
Sure, we are sad to lose a talented man but on a deeper level, those
who have loved ones struggling with sadness, irritability or who are just
“not themselves” have wondered if those loved ones have depression.
We are frightened because we don’t want to miss any cry for help from
one who is struggling because depression is a very serious illness.
A recent NPR article explored the alarming rising suicide rates,
particularly among young adolescent girls who are entering puberty
and experiencing depression at increasingly earlier ages. One
researcher observed, “it’s usually been referred to as the storm-andstress
period of life because there’s just a lot of change happening all at
one time,”
Parents of teenagers can have difficulty
differentiating normal teen separation behavior
from depression. Here’s how you can do this. Below
are two lists of behaviors: one shows symptoms of
depression (in teens and younger children) and the
other shows “normal” teen behavior. If your child
had more than 5 of the symptoms in the depression
column for longer than two weeks, he may be
depressed and need help.
DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS
1. Irritable or depressed mood
2. Decreased interest or
pleasure in normal every day
activities
3. Weight loss when not dieting
or sudden weight gain
4. Insomnia or hypersomnia
(sleeping too much)
5. Psychomotor agitation
or retardation (body is
hyperactive or very slow
compared to normal)
6. Fatigue, feelings of
worthlessness, or a sense of
inappropriate guilt
7. Decreased ability to think,
concentrate or increased
indecisiveness
8. Recurrent thoughts of suicide
or death
Kids who have a family history
of depression or who have
prior bouts of depression are
at increased risk for getting
depression.
NORMAL TEEN SEPARATION
BEHAVIOR OCCURS WITH THE
FOLLOWING BEHAVIORS
1. Irritability that comes and
goes or that is directed at
only on person
2. Desire to spend time alone in
room for a few hours per day,
alternating with engagement
with family
3. Increased sleep
4. Staying up at night more
than usual
5. Fatigue that will go away
if child increases sleep on
weekends
6. Desire to exclude parents
from personal conversations
7. Doing things that they knows
parents disagree with behind
their backs
8. Speaks contrary to parents
and is argumentative
The main difference between
depression and normal teen
behavior is the severity and
length of the symptoms. All teens
can be irritable but this should
come and go and alternate with
nice behavior. Depressed teens
can’t “snap out of” bad behavior.
Also, all teens need more sleep
and are tired a lot but once they
have a chance to catch up on
sleep, the fatigue goes away.
Fatigue doesn’t go away if a teen
is depressed.
If you suspect that a teen is
depressed, simply ask them.
Having someone come right
out and ask won’t make them
depressed and many times
teens feel relief when someone
recognizes that they are
struggling.
If your teen has 5 or more of the
depression symptoms or if your
gut tells you that they might be
depressed, take them to your
internist or pediatrician. They are
very familiar with depression and
should be more than willing to
help your teen get back on track.
If your child or someone you love
is exhibiting any of the risk factors
and warning signs of suicide,
you should contact the National
Suicide Prevention Lifeline at
1-800-273-TALK (8255). Your call
will be routed to the Lifeline
center nearest to your area code.
More information is available
on the American Foundation for
Suicide Prevention website.
By Meg Meeker, MD
8 / HEALTHY MIAMI