Major Project On The Effects Of Childhood Depression

CHILDHOOD DEPRESSION
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Abstract
The current society faces various problems emanating from the social, political, and economic aspects of the day to day life all over the world. Consequently, the integral role of the family and the community as a whole in providing the much-needed care and support that is demanded by the growing children is often sidelined. Success and personal development is what drives many people, parents or otherwise. Children are thus left in the hands of trained caregivers and other professionals who are tasked with attending to their physical, emotional, and mental needs. Nevertheless, it is the responsibility of each and every person involved in the children’s growth to provide the best response whenever they face certain challenges or rather special concerns or needs. A child’s growth and development into adulthood is a very long and tedious process which demands a lot of attention and patience from the caregivers. Complications during birth or pregnancy, for instance, can result in a child with a disability and thus requiring special care in the upbringing.
Childhood Depression
Depression, commonly referred to as an emotional disorder affecting one’s mood, is often associated with both the adolescents and the adults. The effects of depression can either be fatal, leading to death or moderate depending on the level or the extent of its damage. Similarly, children are nowadays known to experience mood swings or exhibit negative feelings that affect their normal daily activities (Cassidy et al., 2013). It is important to note, however, that a change in the child’s mood may not necessarily be a sign of depression in children. Childhood depression is a rather confusing child concern among many parents who mostly fail to recognize or realize it in their kids and at times make wrong assumptions when sadness befalls the children. Though sadness is the most common symptom of depression in children, it is its prolonged effects on a child’s behavior, especially towards normal activities such as schoolwork, interests, and other social activities that determine whether the child is suffering from childhood depression or not (Robin et al., 2016). Social workers and parents alike, thus face a difficult task of realizing whether or not a child’s behavior is indicating the possibility or rather the occurrence of this special concern referred to as childhood depression.
Social workers and other trained personalities within the society usually help the affected families and individuals in dealing with the challenges arising from the growth or in the nurturing of such children. However, and despite the nobility of the social workers’ services, there are several problems facing children today that go beyond the scope of their abilities. Challenges such as childhood depression prove to be an elusive concern not only to the workers but also the parents themselves (Hazel et al., 2014).
Childhood depression is a psychological problem among children that is attracting attention from the scholarly world of psychology and other fields of study. Recent research in child psychology clearly indicates that depression in children is a real phenomenon affecting a significant percentage of kids below the age of 12 years around the world (Dietz et al., 2015). Children under the age of five were considered to be too young to experience any form of psychological or emotional turmoil culminating in depression. However Dietz and his colleagues (2015) warn that children between the ages of 5 and 6 are highly susceptible to depression that requires both family and clinical interventions to diagnose. A child within the above age bracket is bound to undergo various adaptive processes towards the outside world through physical and emotional socialization with other human beings and the environment at large. Dysfunctional emotional tendencies exhibited by children while growing up can, therefore, be said to be the product of their relationship to the society (Hazel et al., 2014). The negative tendencies such as sadness can then persist and therefore affecting the normal emotional functionality of the child.
It is imperative, therefore for a person to understand the manifestation of childhood depression if the special concern is to be addressed correctly. Furthermore, following the child’s physical and emotional development reduces the common mistake of making incorrect assumptions regarding the child’s psychological health (Ellen et al., 2014). Elevated or major childhood depression is not common among the infants, though it’s a possibility as the children grow and develop. The prevalence of major childhood depression among children aged between 2 to 12 years is estimated to be within the range of 2.8% to 3% (Stark and Bayenner, 2012). The rate is, however, progressive as children of ages 2-5 record a low of 1.4% with preschoolers at 3%. Validating or understanding the above dynamics further necessitates a comprehensive observation and review of the child’s emotional development. One should have a concrete foundation based on the primary influences on a child’s development, which constitute both biological and environmental adaptations (Cox et al., 2014). Distinguishing between the normal emotional functionality and dysfunctions sets out the basis for identification, assessment, and diagnosis of depression in children.
Children aged five years and below usually exhibit universal emotions which parents find easy to discern and make an effective response. Infants and toddlers alike are also capable of regulating their emotions of fear, anger, sadness or enjoyment through self-soothing techniques or strategies developed as they grow (Molly, Kate, and Anthony, 2012). In between the ages of 2-5 years, children also begin to understand the expressions of emotions such as happiness, anger, sadness, surprise and interest. The self-regulating mechanisms help the children at this age to control their emotions and thus enabling them to make friends, learn, and follow instructions from their parents, teachers, and other guardians (Dietz et al., 2015). The emotional sensitivity of a child is thus developed between the ages of 2 to 5 years. It is the same emotional development that makes children culpable or susceptible to the harmful effects of depression. It makes the children vulnerable to the conflicting and stressful situations within their new environment.
Emotional sensitivity makes a child to be more receptive to other children or people’s emotional connection and respond accordingly (Robin et al., 2016). However, the emotional intelligence and social capabilities of children at this tender age cannot handle the strenuous environment of interaction and thus becoming liable to depressive disorders. The adverse environmental circumstances expose the children to strong emotions which are beyond their sensitive threshold and hence affecting their psychological functions consequently their behavior (Cassidy et al., 2013). A normal emotional, sensitive child, for instance, will exhibit a high-intensity cry when in distress which reduces as the regulating mechanism of seeking soothing attention come into play. On the other hand, a depressed an emotional dysfunctional child will depict aggressive and violent tantrums while crying that often last for a longer time than other children (Cassidy et al., 2013). The differences in children emotional behavior are the primary indicators for family or clinical intervention in diagnosing childhood depression.
Despite the similar repercussions of elevated depression in adults and the youths, there exist several remedies for childhood depression. It is a treatable child concern that can be addressed through both preventive measures and other methods of treatment depending on the existing conditions of the affected child. One of the very first steps taken before carrying out any diagnostic measures for any patient is to familiarize oneself with the symptoms of a child’s concern (Molly, Kate, and Anthony, 2012). Social workers, especially counselors, should have extensive knowledge of the signs showcasing the possibility of a child suffering from depression.
Signs and symptoms of childhood depression
The signs and symptoms childhood depression are different from one child to the other and hence there are no appropriate indicators documented as diagnostic measures for the counselors and other special child concerns’ specialists (Robin et al., 2013). Prolonged sadness, irritation, and continuous discouragement or lack or interest in previously enjoyable activities among children are the primary indicators of depression (Stark and Bayenner, 2012). A child exhibiting these symptoms for long periods of time stretching from weeks, months and maybe throughout the year should receive treatment for depression that is best suited for the level of the illness. Stark and Bayenner (2012) also warn that sadness has over the years been linked with depression in children and is thus often misunderstood to be a symptom hence requiring parents to be very cautious in identifying their children’s special concern. Other signs and symptoms that social workers should look out for in identifying children with depression include increased concentration on negative issues, becoming overly critical of almost everything including self, and raising endless complaints (Robin et al., 2013). Common signs and symptoms associated with depression in children include crying and vocal outbursts, social withdrawal, changes in eating and sleeping patterns, lack of thinking, and reduced concentration. The wide range of symptoms vary from one child to the other and may not necessarily at the same time depending on their emotional sensitivity to the environment.
Impact of the problem on children below 12 years
The effects of depression in children also vary with the level of concern exhibited by a given child...