The depressed child

Does depression manifest differently in children? What should parents look out for? Some of the common features of depression in children are as follows:

• The child is withdrawn, isolated and tends to be a loner
• The child seems to lack interest in life and other events that most children find enjoyable
• The child seems reluctant to talk about him/herself or about life at home
• The child displays behaviour that is “out of pattern”, i.e. different to how the child usually behaves
• The child fabricates stories about his/her home or about other areas of his/her life as a way of seeming “okay”
• The child assumes an almost “adult” way of relating – controlled, distant, even aloof.

If you are worried that your child might be depressed, contact the South African Federation for Mental Health at (011) 725 5800.

(South African Federation for Mental Health )