Approaching adolescent depression: why is it that children’s pain, so often, goes unnoticed by us?

In recent years, the popularization and development of the Internet has made access to information more convenient, and adult depression has gradually come into the public eye, but at the same time, more and more minors, especially adolescents, are plagued by mental, emotional and other problems, especially depression is the most common.

Let’s go into the children’s inner world together and listen to their real voices.

01 How can kids be depressed?They can actually sense emotions better than adults

In reality, many parents are unable to empathize with their children’s emotions, believing that their children are faking or are rebellious during puberty, and may even criticize their children for it, without really understanding the complex etiology and emotional stress orientation behind it.Research suggests that genetic factors, biological factors, psychological trauma and environmental stress may be involved.

Let’s first make it clear that depression and depressive disorder are different.Depression refers to a person in a short period of time in a low mood, loss of interest in the state, the vast majority of cases will improve on their own, mood gradually return to normal.Depression, on the other hand, is a condition that lasts for a long time, is difficult to get better, and has begun to significantly affect normal life, and patients need professional help.

Adolescent depression is a mental disorder in which adolescents between the ages of 13 and 19 suffer from persistent low mood, lack of interest and enjoyment, often accompanied by insomnia, loss of appetite, weight loss, lack of concentration, decreased self-evaluation, and loss of confidence in the future.The number of adolescents with depression has been on the rise in recent years and is gradually becoming younger, with a prevalence rate of about 4% to 8%.These symptoms last for a long time and have a serious impact on the study and life of teenagers, and may even lead to tragedies such as suicide.

02 Being good, understanding and obedient may just be their “protective color”.

Contrary to many people’s perceptions, surveys have found that the more academically successful and well-behaved children are, the greater the probability and proportion of them suffering from depression, anxiety and other mental illnesses.The reasons why they are more prone to depression are manifold and mainly include the following:

1.Higher requirements

Excellent children often have a tendency to perfectionism, something is a great achievement for ordinary people, but for excellent children can only be regarded as normal play, the more he upward, want to achieve the goal of the higher the difficulty, once encountered setbacks or failure, will feel frustrated and lost, which leads to depression.

2.Excessive stress

Outstanding children are under immense pressure to excel in school, in life, and socially, and they are often expected to be able to excel in every aspect all the time.Chronic stress and tension can lead to physical and mental exhaustion, which can predispose a child to depression.

3.Lack of socialization support

Outstanding children tend to devote more time and energy to study and self-improvement, while neglecting socialization and relationship building.Once when they experience setbacks, they have nowhere to talk about their inner pain and are unable to handle their negative emotions properly.Lack of social support can make children feel lonely and helpless, thus increasing the risk of depression.

4.Family factors

Family factors such as disharmony in the family atmosphere, parental separation, and death of a loved one can have a serious impact on a child’s psyche, which can predispose him or her to depression.

5.Physiological factors

Physiological factors such as neurotransmitter imbalances and endocrine disruption can affect a child’s emotional and psychological state, thus increasing the risk of depression.

03 Beware!These 8 “help” signals of children may be a precursor to depression.

Depression can be de-escalated and treated, and early recognition for prevention is especially critical.That’s why it’s important for parents to pay more attention to their children’s moods.How can you tell if your child is depressed?You can actually use two of the most effective ways, verbal communication and careful observation, to spot the following common signs of depression:

1. Depression: Feeling persistently depressed, feeling that life is meaningless and losing confidence in the future.
2. Loss of interest: loss of interest in things that were originally of interest, or even reluctance to participate in previously enjoyed activities.
3. Pleasure deficit: inability to experience pleasure, boredom and tedium even when doing things you used to enjoy.
4. Insomnia: lack of sleep and symptoms of insomnia, including difficulty falling asleep, light sleep, and early waking.
5. Loss of appetite: not wanting to eat, loss of appetite, resulting in weight loss.
6. Inattention: Difficulty concentrating, significant memory loss, and decreased academic performance.
7. Decreased self-evaluation: the patient feels self-blame and self-guilt, believes that he or she is a burden to others, is sorry for others, and feels that he or she is worthless and does not have any value in living.
8. Suicide: The patient develops self-injury, suicidal thoughts, begins to plan for suicide, and may even attempt suicide.This is the most dangerous signal. At this point, the patient’s condition is already very serious, and the consequences are unimaginable if he or she does not get professional help in time.

In fact, a considerable number of early stage depression patients do not realize what is happening to them, but they will silently try to test their family and friends around them in their daily conversations to get a hold of each other’s specific views on the situation.If those around them give more positive and encouraging words, it can often help them to get out of the illness quickly and get better naturally.When children feel their parents’ understanding and support, they will be able to let go of their burdens, and will be motivated to defeat their inner “monster”.

04 Summary

Whether we are adults or children, we all experience negative emotions.Teenage depression is a serious mental illness that requires adequate attention and concern.Parents and educators should pay attention to their children’s mental health status, detect and deal with the early distress signals of depression in time to avoid tragedy.

At the same time, we should also pay continuous attention to our children’s mental health issues and establish a good mental health program and education system to help them reduce stress, build social support, and maintain good physical condition, etc., so as to reduce the risk of depression.There is a saying, “Lucky people are healed by childhood all their lives.”Children’s mental health is tied to their physical health, so let’s start with love and care and work to enable them to embrace a brighter future!