For many, childhood is the happiest time of their lives.

The carefree years of playing,

laughing, friends, adventures and lessons learned create many wonderful memories. Not all
children experience such a positive start to childhood though. Childhood depression can be a
huge roadblock in a childs development and ability to function in their day-today lives.
Depression was once called "melancholia". Early documents of melancholia have been
found in ancient Mesopotamian writings dating all the way back to BC. Back then, mental
illnesses were treated as a spiritual warfare and deemed to be demonic possession. In order to
attempt to treat the mental illness, a priest would be assigned to the patient, instead of a
physician. On the other hand, ancient Greek and Roman doctors thought depression was
biological and psychological. They would attempt to treat depression with bloodletting,
gymnastics, massage, restrictive diets, music, and baths. They also used a mixture of donkey
milk and poppy extract to tame symptoms of depression. Hippocrates, a Greek doctor, thought
that depression was caused by having too much black bile in the spleen, while Cicero, a Roman
philosopher, argued that depression was more of a mental illness and was caused by rage, fear
and grief. Throughout history, the belief that mental illness was spiritual, and the beliefs of
Hippocrates, would interchange. Religious leaders and scientists would go back and forth over
the causes of depression. In 1621, Robert Burton published writing called Anatomy of
Melancholy. Within the writing he lists the causes of depression as poverty, fear and solitude. In
this article, Burton suggests diet, exercise, distraction, travel, purgatives bloodletting, herbal
remedies and marriage to treat depression (gulfbend).
In the 1950s and 1960's, the medical community divided depression into different types
based off of the patients depression. Endogenous depression was genetic. People with
endogenous depression thought that everything was their fault and that they caused their own

depression. Neurotic or reactive depression was thought to be caused by a stressful event.

Patients that had this type of depression supposedly felt isolated, victimized and abandoned.
These people were more likely to harm themselves and attempt suicide. Presently professionals
believe that depression carries both mental and physical causes. Because there are more than one
cause to depression, it is now accepted that multiple care providers assist a patient who has
depression such as a physician, therapist or counselor (gulfbend).
A new study in the Journal of Adolescent Health recommends that doctors screen teens
with a history of concussion, because they are three times more likely to suffer from depression.
Researchers evaluated data from 36,000 adolescents. 2.7 percent of them had a concussion and
3.4 percent experienced depression (Healthline). Getting to the root of the depression seems to be
the new approach. If caregivers can pinpoint where the depression derived from then they can
better treat the issue. For instance, if a childs parents are divorcing and the child becomes
depressed, then the caregiver knows why the child is upset and can recommend a therapist to
help with the issues. This way the cause is treated and not just the symptoms.
About 3% of children and teens suffer from serious depression. That number increases
when considering the milder forms of depression (Depression). For a child, depression can begin
after that child has been through a stressful event such as divorce or a death in the family.
Children with learning, attention, and behavior disorders are at a higher risk of depression, but it
can develop even when there are no risk factors at all. According to the Harvard Medical School
Commentaries on Health, the warning signs for a child with depression may not be obvious.
Because the symptoms are not typical depression symptoms, it can be easy to overlook or
thought to be just a phase. A child with depression may seem angry, cranky, or sick and complain
of headaches and stomach aches on a daily basis. A child with depression may feel sadness,

emptiness, guilt, and worthlessness. It may also become very hard for that child to concentrate,
make decisions, stay motivated or do well in school. Children with depression often experience,
weight loss or weight gain, insomnia, joint pains, lack of energy and anxiety. If the child is
talking about death or suicide, this may be a very serious indicator that they are depressed.
Childhood depression can lead to a higher risk of mental problems, drug abuse, and
suicide. If a child is showing any signs of depression, the first step is to contact a pediatrician.
The pediatrician can refer the child to a mental health professional. By pinpointing where the
depression is coming from, the mental health professional can help the child learn to cope. If
therapy is not enough then there are medications that can be given for depression. Finding the
right medication and dose can help the child feel better without putting them into a zombie like
state. There are medications for depression that are commonly used that have been issued a black
box warning from the Food and Drug Administration. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors,
(SSRI) can have a side effect of increased suicidal thinking in children with depression. A study
printed in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that the benefits of SSRIs
outweigh the risks. They also stated that if a child is in therapy and on medication then they are
more likely to recover from depression than if they are only taking advantage of one treatment
(Depression).
On the other hand, there are options for those who choose not to use medication. Exercise
has been medically proven to boost endorphins. Long term effects of exercise can help rewire the
brain to think positively. Getting enough sleep can also help your body to feel better. When the
body is tired it can become stressed, making it easier to sink into a depressive state. Eating
healthy has also been said to help the body feel great and prevent stress. Some herbal oils have

been said to help with depression. By using a concoction of different oils and applying them to
the skin, they can help you enhance your mood and feel less stressed (Webmd).
When it comes to a depressed child, families, friends and teachers should be supportive,
patient, and willing to use positive reinforcements to help them thrive. It can be stressful for the
family of a depressed child. A symptom of depression can be agitation and grouchiness. A
depressed child could be picking fights with their siblings or parents. It may be hard to discipline
a child with depression because their behavior issue is stemming from the depression. A child
who is depressed may feel as if they cannot help their angry actions. Because anxiety goes hand
in hand with depression, anxiety can also be hard to manage with a child who fluctuates between
anxiety and depression. It may be hard for that child to focus and pay attention in school. If this
is the case then the student is likely to cause distractions in class. The student could also battle
low self-esteem, making it hard for them to complete work or make friends. As a family it is
important to be patient and reward the child positively. Whenever the child shows good, positive
behavior, the parent could reward the child with a sticker on a chart, and when there are a good
amount of stickers, then the child could get a prize. A child with depression may already feel
punished, even when they are not being punished, so by rewarding good behavior instead of
punishing bad behavior, helps them to reroute their thinking from negative to positive. Verbal
praise is also a good tool to use with a depressed child. Consistency, love, and the willingness to
take the child to therapy can all be great tools for a depressed child.
In an article in medical news today, a report claims that teenage girls are more likely to be
depressed than boys. Recently that number is climbing. In the past year, the percentage of girls
aged 12 and 15 years who experienced a major depressive episode has tripled from 5.1% to
15.2%, according to a report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

(MNT). This can be the result of a combination of hormones, and the way society expects
women to look. As a community we should educate all students with coping skills and access to
mental health services. As teachers we are supposed to equip students with skills that they can
survive on. Coping skills are the base of what we should be teaching. When depression takes
over it is hard for someone to function properly. If a student is taught the necessary coping skills
then they will not suffer as much. The number one common cause of suicide is depression.
Suicide is the third leading cause of death for 15 - 24 year olds and the sixth leading cause of
death for five - 15 year olds (Teen Suicide). So many lives can be saved with just a small effort
in preventative education.
My daughter has suffered from anxiety since she was 4 years old. Recently, her father
divorced me and the twins that we were in the process of adopting, had to go back to foster care.
Immediately her father remarried, and my daughter began public school after 5 years of
homeschool. Her anxiety began to increase as did her OCD and depression. I did not realize she
had depression until I began my research for this paper. I assumed her behavior problems were
because of her anxiety and the fact that she is bounced between houses throughout the week. Her
relationships at home have begun to suffer and the brothers that she was once so close to have
become live-in enemies to her. It is a constant struggle to get anything done, everything seems to
be too much trouble for her to cope with. She just wants to be left alone without leaving the
comfort of being around everyone. We just began therapy a week ago and I can already see a
difference. I have changed my negative discipline to positive reinforcement, and she is now
excited to please. Once I recognized the symptoms and was educated on childhood depression, I
sought the help that my daughter needed and I immediately saw results. No one should have to
live with depression, especially children, during the happiest time of their lives.

Works Cited

MNT (n.d.). Retrieved March 30, 2015, from

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/248382.php
10 Natural Depression Treatments. (n.d.). Retrieved March 30, 2015, from
http://www.webmd.com/depression/features/natural-treatments?page=2
Depression: New Causes, New Treatments. (n.d.). Retrieved March 30, 2015, from
http://www.healthline.com/health-news/mental-new-causes-of-and-treatments-for-depression011314
Gulf Bend MHMR Center. (n.d.). Retrieved March 30, 2015, from
http://www.gulfbend.org/poc/view_doc.php?type=doc&id=12996&cn=5
Teen Suicides Statistics - Yello Dyno. (n.d.). Retrieved March 30, 2015, from
http://yellodyno.com/Statistics/statistics_teen_suicides.html

Childhood Depression

Alisha Reid
Introduction to Special Education 203
Research paper
April 7, 2015 Tuesday