Pediatric depression affects millions of children worldwide (Giardino & Benton, 2016) and presents prevalently as a child ages. "The risk for depression increases during childhood" (Bonin, 2016). A comparatively common mental health problem that usually continues intermittently into maturity, pediatric depression may be brought on by various factors. It may be triggered by biologic processes, damaging experiences, or a combination of both. A main determiner for pediatric depression remains up for debate. What is certain, is that chemical changes in the brain bring in the closing common pathways to depression.
To help a child struggling with depression, it is important to understand and learn to identify the signs and symptoms. Major depressive episodes seen in pediatric depression frequently last anywhere from two weeks and include a minimum of five symptoms. A list of symptoms is provided below.
Depressed (or irritable) mood
Diminished interest or loss of pleasure in almost all activities
3. Sleep disturbance
4. Weight change, appetite disturbance, or failure to achieve expected weight gain
5. Decreased concentration or indecisiveness
6. Suicidal ideation or thoughts of death
7. Psychomotor agitation or retardation
8. Fatigue or loss of energy
9. Feelings of worthlessness or inappropriate guilt (Giardino & Benton, 2016, p. 1).
For these symptoms to count towards a diagnosis, they must cause major impairment/distress of vital functioning as well as must not be attributable to a pre-existing psychiatric or medical condition or the direct action of a substance.
Chronicity, seasonality, catatonic/melancholic features, and psychotic symptoms might or might not happen with depression. Some atypical features can exist with depression that include mood reactivity as well as a minimum of two of the following for a minimum of two weeks. They are increased sleep, major weight gain and/or increase in appetite, major impairment in occupational/social functioning stemming from a pattern of long-term interpersonal rejection sensitive,...
Some organic etiologies may imitate pediatric depression such as medication, tumor, endocrine disorder, neurologic disorder, and
infection. While there are no laboratory assessments that would be used for
diagnosis of depression, workup can be performed to assess the patient's state of health.
Treatment options vary but typically include cognitive-behavioral therapy, pharmacotherapy, interpersonal therapy,
behavior therapy, group psychotherapy,
family therapy, or psychodynamic psychotherapy. A psychiatrist may or may not prescribe
medication in the realm of anti-anxiety or anti-depressant medications like MAOIs, TCAs, and SSRIs (Moreland & Bonin, 2016). Psychiatrists greatly prefer SSRIs as the main choice of medication for pediatric depression due to less adverse effects seen in the class of medication treatment. Depending on severity, age of patience, number of previous episodes, subtype, contextual issues, and chronicity, pediatric depression may be treated with just therapy or a combination of therapy and medication.
A 2016 article on pediatric depression noted the lack of effective CPGs or clinical practice guidelines for treating and managing symptoms; stating only two existed to help manage depressive disorders in teens and children. Those are "the National Institute for Heath and Care Excellence and the Beyond Blue CPG. These CPGs aim to provide strategies to treat depression in minors in a way that is multi-faceted and comprehensive, giving options to patients
suffering from a varying degree of depression. Because depression has no definitive cause, it is important when treating children and teens, to aim for treatments that cover several areas and promote progress in the patient towards self-awareness, self-regulation, and creation of positive coping mechanisms for
anxiety and
stress.
In terms of differential diagnoses, the same diagnostic criteria considered for depressive disorders is used for teens and children as for adults (Bonin,…
