What is depression?

All children feel sad or blue at times, but feelings of sadness with great intensity that persist for weeks or months may be a symptom of more chronic depression or major depressive disorder. These depressive disorders are more than “the blues”; they affect a young person’s thoughts, feelings, behaviour, and body, and can lead to school failure, social isolation, and even suicide.

Symptoms of depression in children and young people often go unrecognised or untreated and are often masked by other behaviours such as anger or aggression.

Symptoms of depression in children or young people may include:

• Changes in appetite (either increase or decrease) or failure to make expected weight gains
• Disturbed sleep resulting in daytime lethargy and poor concentration
• Frequently seeming upset, sad, anxious or negative (adolescents) or crankiness, grouchiness or irritability (children)
• Becoming withdrawn or isolated from others
• Becoming involved in risky or criminal behaviour
• A marked decline in academic interest and performance
• Fidgeting, or an inability to sit still
• Loss of interest in activities once enjoyed
• Sudden outbursts of anger, aggression and/or crying
• Suicidal thoughts
• Self-harming behaviour
• Fear or anxiety
• Excessive use of alcohol, drugs
• Constant complaints or emotional outbursts with no apparent cause
• Repeated physical complaints without a medical cause