Signs Of Depression in Children and Teens
Depression is an illness that can strike you at any age. As a parent, it’s essential to recognize the warning signs taking hold of your children. Doing so will allow you to get them the help they need to overcome this. At Pediatric Associates of Plainview, our staff wants to help with this. We will offer you insight on the signs to watch for and provide treatment to the children who require it.
Signs Of Depression In Children
Although many expect their children to be filled with constant feelings of happiness and joy, the truth of the matter is that anyone can have a mental illness. Depression does not just affect adults, and it can quickly become an issue for your family if you don’t get your child the help they need. If you notice them displaying any of the below warning signs, we recommend contacting our team right away:
- Increased irritability or anger.
- Social withdrawal.
- Sensitivity to rejection.
- Sudden changes in appetite.
- Sudden changes in sleep patterns.
- Impaired thinking and concentration.
How Parents Can Help
Before scheduling an appointment with our team, there are ways parents can actively work to help their children overcome their depression. Our physicians would like to share these methods with you, so you can keep your child protected. However, we’d like to call out that if your intervention methods do not work promptly, you shouldn’t wait to schedule an appointment with us. In the meantime, below are some ways you can try and help:
- Spend quality time with your child.
- Encourage them to have open and honest conversations.
- Have them try to perform physical activities they enjoy.
- Feed them healthy meals each day.
- Promote a healthy sleep schedule.
- Organize family events and playdates.
How We Can Help
If you still believe your child is battling depression after trying the above intervention methods, don’t hesitate to contact our team. We’ll perform a depression screening to help diagnose the condition. Once this is done, we will refer you to trusted professionals who will utilize their services to improve your child’s condition.
Contact Us
Living with depression at any age can feel like a helpless experience. Don’t let your children suffer through this alone. Please don’t hesitate to contact our team at Pediatric Associates of Plainview today to help get them the help they deserve.