Depression, one of today's most common illnesses, is not only specific to adults.
Symptoms of depression, which is also seen in childhood, include sleep problems, decreased academic achievement, increased or decreased appetite, introversion and unhappiness. Experts emphasize the importance of early diagnosis and timely intervention.
Clinical Psychologist Nazende Ceren Öksüz from Üsküdar University NPISTANBUL Hospital emphasized the importance of early diagnosis, stating that depression can also be seen in childhood.
SLEEP PATTERNS CHANGE
Stating that sleep problems are one of the leading symptoms of childhood depression, Öksüz said, "If your child sleeps more or less than normal, if he/she has difficulty falling asleep at night, if he/she has nightmares, we should think that there may be some problems in the child's psychology."
EATING MORE OR LESS CAN ALSO BE A SIGN
Stating that some problems and changes in the child's appetite and eating patterns can also be a sign of depression, Öksüz said, "A recent decrease or increase in the child's appetite along with skipping meals, not eating properly and other psychological problems may also be a sign of depression."
ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT DECREASES
Stating that depression also affects the academic success of the child, Nazende Ceren Öksüz said that drops in grades, significant changes and a lower academic performance than before are among the symptoms of childhood depression.
BEWARE IF UNHAPPY AND WITHDRAWN!
Stating that the child's relationships in social life should also be well observed, Öksüz drew attention to symptoms such as introversion, difficulty in anger control, and reacting to rules. Nazende Ceren Öksüz said the following:
"If you observe that your child is much more resilient and weak in the face of any stress, if your child is unhappy, if he/she closes himself/herself off from communication, if he/she always wants to spend time alone, if he/she has communication problems when he/she gets together with his/her friends, or if he/she has difficulty in controlling his/her anger, if he/she reacts too much to some rules you set, all these may also be signs of childhood depression."
TREATMENT SHOULD NOT BE LATE
Stating that there may be very risky situations if childhood depression is left untreated, Specialist Clinical Psychologist Nazende Ceren Öksüz said, "Since one of the symptoms of depression is suicidal ideas and plans, the risk of self-harm in an untreated depression is also very high." and recommended that a specialist should be consulted if childhood depression is suspected.
MEDICAL TREATMENT AND THERAPY ARE APPLIED
Stating that various treatments are applied in NPISTANBUL Hospital for childhood depression, Öksüz said, "Some of these are medical treatments. In addition, we can benefit from different schools in the psychotherapy process. Some of them are play therapies, some of them are positive parenting practices, cognitive behavioral therapy techniques, and we work on childhood depression with a number of psychotherapy techniques applied in accordance with the age of the child."