Is My Child or Teen Depressed? 10 Tell-Tale Questions to Consider
Feelings of sadness are a normal part of development, and it’s common for kids to go through periods of sorrow as they navigate growing up. Bouts of depression are especially common after major life changes such as a move, divorce, or loss of a loved one or pet. Sometimes sadness lasts far beyond the short-term and develops into a depressive disorder that can impair a child for weeks, months, or even years. With depression on the rise and suicide remaining a leading cause of death for youth, it’s critical that parents recognize signs of when their child needs help.
Could your child or teen be showing signs of a depressive disorder? Consider these 10 questions:
1. Has their energy level changed?
Changes in energy are a common symptom of depression. If your child naps excessively or talks, walks, and reacts sluggishly, depression may be wearing them down. Conversely, depression can also present as restlessness, causing your child to appear abnormally tense or jittery.
2. Have they lost interest in the fun stuff?
Depression sucks the pleasure out of activities that kids would otherwise enjoy. Has your preschooler lost interest in playing with toys? Does your soccer star suddenly dread going to practice? Does your child turn down invitations to hang out with friends, or hide in their room during family game night? If so, depression may be preventing them from pursuing their interests and enjoying meaningful time with loved ones.
3. How do they see themselves?
“I’m an idiot!” “I’m so fat!” “I can’t get anything right!”
Depression negatively distorts a child’s self-image, causing feelings of worthlessness, guilt, and hopelessness. Pay attention to the way your child talks about themselves; if they frequently make negative comments about their abilities or appearance, their self-image may be distorted by depression.
Trauma is a common cause of depression in children & teens. If your child has experienced trauma, click here for tips on supporting them
4. Are they irritable often?
Kids with depression feel that something is wrong, but they often don’t recognize that their problems are stemming from sadness. As a result, it’s common for their mood to appear more grumpy and agitated than sad. If your child has become increasingly irritable or defiant, depression may be the cause.
5. Have they tried to self-medicate?
The weight of depression can feel unbearable, and kids don’t always know healthy ways to cope. Sometimes, they turn to unsafe coping tools to numb the pain, such as substance abuse, promiscuity, or self-injury. The part of the brain that manages rational thought and impulse control is still developing until one’s twenties, making it easy for teens to underestimate the risks of these behaviors.
Boosting emotional intelligence reduces the risk of your teen turning to drugs or alcohol. Check out our tips on high EQ parenting
Click here to read our blog on preventing student suicide
6. Have their eating habits changed?
Does your child avoid family mealtime? Do they often claim to not be hungry? Or do they seem to eat constantly, even trying to hide how much they’re eating? Significant changes in eating habits are a common symptom of depression. While some kids lose their appetite or severely limit their food intake, others turn to emotional eating and may overeat to seek comfort.
Think your teen may have an eating disorder? Click here to learn the signs
7. Do they complain of frequent pain?
The distress of depression often spreads from the mind to the body, causing aches, pains, or gastrointestinal issues. Physical pains from depression are especially common in children who are less able to verbally express their feelings of sadness. If your child frequently complains of an upset stomach and you’ve ruled out other medical conditions, depression could be behind their discomfort.
8. Are their grades suffering?
Depression feels all-encompassing, hindering students’ ability to focus, engage, and process what they’re learning. If your student’s teacher has expressed concerns over their grades or motivation, depression may be a contributing factor. However, it’s also important to note that many students can maintain good grades while depressed, and sometimes the highest achieving kids are secretly battling major depression.
Click here to learn more about the unhealthy side of perfectionism in kids
9. Do they have another diagnosis?
Depression commonly co-occurs with many other disorders, including, but not limited to:
Learning disabilities such as dyslexia, dyscalculia, and dysgraphia
Executive functioning disorders such as ADHD
Chronic illnesses such as fibromyalgia, migraines, epilepsy, or spina bifida
Treatment plans vary between depression and each of these conditions, so it is critical for a child to receive an accurate diagnosis to guide effective interventions.
Is depression holding your kid back from enjoying their youth and achieving their potential? Schedule your free 15-minute consultation to learn how we can help.
10. Is the cause unclear?
Sometimes the onset of a kid’s depression has an obvious cause such as being cyber-bullied, losing a pet, or enduring their first breakup. However, many kids develop depression without a clear reason why. And while depression can be hereditary, a child can develop depression without any family history of it. It’s important to recognize that a kid can experience intense depression even if they are provided a stable, loving, and enriching home life.
How Variations Psychology can help
No matter the cause of your kid’s depression, there are a variety of interventions that can help. Effective treatments vary depending on whether their depression is biological, situational, or related to a co-occurring disorder. The first step in helping your child escape the grip of depression is diagnostic testing.
So you know you need help, but aren’t sure how to find the right help?
If a loved one has a learning difference or other condition that impacts their mental health and education, you may feel lost in determining the best ways to support them.
Our Diagnosticians can provide psychological testing to remove the guess-work and guide your family on the best path toward mental health, emotional wellness, and academic success.
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More about Variations Psychology
Variations Psychology is a group practice specializing in diagnostic testing to identify psychological conditions.
Our comprehensive evaluations test for conditions that impact mental health and development such as ADHD, autism spectrum disorders, depression, anxiety, learning disorders, and developmental delays.
In addition to diagnostic services, we offer Independent Educational Evaluations (IEEs) of K-12 students to assess needs for accommodations in school and determine their appropriate placements. IEEs provide an objective second opinion on existing IEP and 504 Plans.
For K-12 and post-secondary students, we offer evaluations to assess needs for accommodations on standardized tests, college entrance exams (e.g. - SAT, ACT, AP Exams), and graduate and professional licensing exams (e.g. - MCAT, LSAT, GRE, CBEST, NCLEX, GMAT, CA Cosmetology Exam, CA Contractors State Licensing Exam, CA Bar Exam).
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Major Depression (2021) National institute of Mental Health. Retrieved from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/major-depression
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How to Cite This Blog Article:
Shinn. M.M. (2021). Is My Child or Teen Depressed? 10 Tell-Tale Questions to Consider
Psychologically Speaking. [Variations Psychology blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.variationspsychology.com/blogs/is-my-child-or-teen-depressed-10-tell-tale-questions-to-consider