A child or teenager can be depressed if they feel ill and have lost their appetite even for what they usually think they are doing. Seek help early if you think a child or teen has a depression. Most people get better already after a few weeks with the right treatment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This text is aimed at you who are an adult and know a child or teen who you think may have suffered from depression.\u00a0You as a child can read more at\u00a0\u00a0V\u00e5ga tell,\u00a0\u00a0and you as a teenager can read more at\u00a0umo.se\u00a0about\u00a0feeling bad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Feeling sad, pondering life or doubting yourself is common, regardless of age.\u00a0When something difficult or difficult happens, it is common to react with sadness, disappointment or disappointment.\u00a0After a while, it usually goes by itself, sometimes with the support of those closest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If the child or teenager continues to feel ill every day for more than two weeks, it can be a depression. Depression can either come on suddenly or develop over a long period of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A person who has previously been active and outgoing may not want to be with his friends as before. They can constantly seem depressed, angry, angry or annoyed. Nothing is fun, not even what the person has previously done to do. Often, those who are depressed end up with any activities or interests they have had in their spare time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Self-esteem is often low in people with depression. This can be seen by the fact that the child or teenager has very negative and critical thoughts about himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is also common for the child or teenager to withdraw and isolate themselves or become in conflict with the environment. In addition, they usually have at least three of these symptoms:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There is a big difference in how depression is felt in a smaller child and in a teenager.\u00a0Smaller children who become depressed can sometimes stop or go back to their development.\u00a0For example, the child may stop playing or stop doing things they have learned.\u00a0They can also respond by crying, screaming or bumping anyone who tries to comfort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For a child who goes to school, especially in high school or high school, depression can make them unable to concentrate, think and be engaged. Then it becomes difficult to keep up with the lessons and do homework.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It can be difficult to understand and interpret the symptoms as an adult. It is common to think that a teenager is angry or annoyed, while the teenager himself feels sad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For you as an adult, it may feel like nothing helps to get the child in a better mood. The child or teenager may have difficulty understanding why they feel so sad or angry. It is common for them to think no one understands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sometimes the problems can be noticed earlier in the preschool or school than at home. If you plan to talk to a teacher at school, it may be good to tell your child so they do not feel left out. Ask the child what they want.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is common for even young people to have\u00a0suicidal thoughts.\u00a0Thinking about death is common, even in younger children.\u00a0For example, one might think that it would not be so bad to die because life feels so difficult.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It can be a sign of depression if a child or teen starts talking about themselves as dead or longing for death. It is important to take it seriously, although in most cases it does not mean that the person will try to take their life. It is important that you show the child that everything can be talked about, even if it may feel difficult or upset or worried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here you can read more about talking about suicidal thoughts with someone who is feeling bad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The most common form of depression<\/strong> is called “real depression” and is divided into three levels of difficulty:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The various degrees describe how much the person can handle in everyday life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the case of mild or mild depression, the child or teenager works in everyday life, despite feeling ill. She can cope with going to school or socializing with friends, though it requires effort. The person often seems angry, tired, irritated or angry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In moderate or moderate depression, it is difficult to cope with everyday life.\u00a0The person can still go to school, but the absence is usually high and it is difficult to cope with tests and homework.\u00a0This causes school work to suffer.\u00a0They often have problems with sleep, and sleep either too much or too little.\u00a0Some turn around the clock and wake up at night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since the person often does not seem sad or depressed, but more angry, tired, irritated or angry, it can be difficult to understand that they are depressed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the depression is severe it affects life very much.\u00a0Then the child or teenager is often unable to go to school anymore and seems to have lost interest in everything.\u00a0She cannot take care of her hygiene and often isolates herself from family and friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Having suicidal thoughts or plans to take one’s life can also be included in the symptoms, but that does not mean that everyone with severe depression has suicidal thoughts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another sign of severe depression is that the person is exposed to dangerous games or is not afraid of them, for example being careless in traffic.\u00a0It may seem that life is no longer important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Depression can be recurring. Then the symptoms come back repeatedly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Depression can also be mild but lasts for a long time.\u00a0It’s called dysthymia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is common for children and teenagers who have depression also have other problems. Physically injuring oneself by, for example, scratching or cutting oneself is a common way of trying to relieve severe depression or strong feelings of anxiety. Eating disorders are also common.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is important to try to help your child or teen find other ways to deal with difficult feelings. Read more about what you can do as a relative of someone who injures himself, or someone who has an eating disorder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There is also a risk that teens who feel ill begin to drink alcohol or use other drugs to cope with their difficult feelings. Therefore, it is important not to wait too long to seek help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Seek help early if you suspect a child or teen has depression.\u00a0It is especially important to seek treatment early if your child has had depression before and is experiencing symptoms again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In most county councils and regions there are receptions that have a special mission to take responsibility for the mental health of children and young people. It’s called first-line psychiatry. It can be at a health center or pediatric clinic and is often called a call center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Contact a child care center, eg if a child is under six.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For children over the age of six, you should primarily contact the student health center, the care center or reception that belongs to the first line psychiatry.\u00a0They refer to specialized reception, bup if needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Children who attend school can contact pupil health themselves.\u00a0The school nurse then hears from the guardian afterward, so that together you can figure out what needs to be done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A teenager can also contact Bup, pupil health or a youth reception.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If a child or teenager has thoughts or plans for suicide, seek medical care immediately. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Tell the child or teen that you intend to seek care for them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When a child or teen is suspected of having depression, it needs to be assessed and investigated before they can receive treatment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Regardless of whether you have sought care through student health, the care center or any other reception in the first line of psychiatry, an assessment is made as to where you are best assisted.\u00a0Either the investigation and treatment can be given within the first line of reception, or you will receive a referral to\u00a0Bup, child and adolescent psychiatry, which is more specialized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Depending on the child’s age, parents may be included in the visits. Sometimes several calls are needed for the investigator to find out if it is a depression or some other problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some physical illnesses may have the same or similar symptoms as depression.\u00a0Another cause may be an iron deficiency or that the child or teen has, for example, too much or too little thyroid hormone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Therefore, it is important that the child or teen can also do a physical examination. After the investigation, a diagnosis is made. Usually, it is a doctor who makes the diagnosis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Depression can be treated in different ways. Which treatment is used depends on the type of depression and how severe it is, and what suits the child or teenager best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you are notified of the diagnosis, the investigator together with a psychologist or other therapist suggests which type of treatment is best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Both you and the child have the right to be involved in deciding on the care and treatment. Make sure you understand the information, ask questions if you don’t understand. You can also ask to have the information written down or translated to read it peacefully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For mild to moderate depression, both the child or the teenager and the parents need to be informed about what depression is, and knowledge of what one can do yourself to begin to feel better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is important to have regular habits when it comes to daily rhythm, food, sleep, and physical activity.\u00a0The following advice is the most important to follow:<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the child or teen does not feel better after about eight weeks with this treatment, further treatment is needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Treatment for severe depression consists of either psychotherapy or other psychological treatment and partly antidepressant drugs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the child or teen has severe depression, they can sometimes also have other problems such as\u00a0self-harm\u00a0or\u00a0eating disorder.\u00a0Sometimes depression needs to be treated before the other can be treated, sometimes everything needs to be treated simultaneously in different ways.\u00a0It’s different for different people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For many children and teenagers, it helps to talk about difficult feelings or to work something hard together with someone for whom they feel confident.\u00a0Psychotherapy can have a good effect on depression.\u00a0As a parent, you can sometimes be part of the treatment.\u00a0It is very important that you, as a parent, learn what to do to make the child feel better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The most common treatment used is any variant of cognitive therapy, KBT, interpersonal therapy, IPT, or a combination of different therapy forms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Read more about\u00a0psychotherapy and other psychological treatment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are several different types of anti-depressants, so-called antidepressants. Drugs are mainly relevant in severe depression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not all antidepressants are approved for the treatment of children and adolescents. You can discuss which drug is appropriate with the responsible physician. If you have thoughts and thoughts about antidepressants, it is good to discuss them with your treating physician.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When the child or teenager has started treatment with antidepressants, it is very important not to stop the treatment without first contacting the doctor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Read more about\u00a0medicines for children and teenagers during the depression\u00a0.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It can feel heavy and hard to be worried about a child or teen who is feeling bad. You can feel powerless, and like nothing you do helps. It can feel difficult if the child cannot or does not want to talk about how they are doing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As a parent or other relative of a child or teen with depression, you can both become angry and feel guilty. Talk to another adult if you feel that way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is important that you take care of yourself so that you are able to support the person who is feeling ill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It’s good to think about how you treat your child when you talk to each other. Listen and let the child tell in their own words. Show that you respect the child’s experiences. Do not accuse the child or teenager of anything they have done or known. Try to be calm even if they get angry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is also good to take time when the child wants to talk.\u00a0It is not always precisely when you ask yourself and think you have time.\u00a0A moment at the bedside in the evening can often work well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Try to make it easy for the child to tell. Ask open and easy questions, and take the time to listen to the answers. For example, an open question might be “How are you thinking?” <\/em> and “Can you tell me more?” <\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Try to listen without giving good advice.\u00a0Also, try to endure it sometimes getting quiet.\u00a0Getting time to think and formulate at your own pace has a value in itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sometimes it is easier to talk while doing something together, such as driving a car or walking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the child or teen says something about not wanting to live, you should not change the topic, but instead, ask how they think.\u00a0Talking about these thoughts and feelings does not mean that the thoughts of suicide will be stronger, or that those who think about suicide will really try to take their life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Instead, this conversation may be just what the person needs. Putting words to their problem can be the beginning of solving it. Read more about helping someone who has suicidal thoughts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A person who has depression may need to gather strength and courage, and it may feel difficult to receive help. That you as a relative are there and provide support can mean a lot. You may need to seek help several times before you find something that works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you have previously received help, but do not feel that it felt right, try again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It means a lot that you as a relative or parent are there for the person who is feeling bad. Listening, showing that you care and offering to help is important for them to feel better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For a period of time, you may need to be at home with the child, even with a teenager who is feeling very ill.\u00a0In the event of severe depression, a child or a teen should not be alone at home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you need to stay at home with a child who is between 12 and 16, in connection with depression, a medical certificate is needed.\u00a0You can also be at home with a teenager who is over 16, but then a special medical certificate is needed.\u00a0Talk to the attending physician if you need a certificate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the person does not want to receive treatment yourself, be prepared for it to take time. Ask for help from others and decide for yourself or with someone in the care what is your limit for what you can do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This also applies to persons under the age of 18. It can be a very difficult and difficult situation for you. Try to respect the person’s wishes. What you can do is keep talking about how they are doing. Bring up the question of help again and again, in a demanding way. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you are afraid that the person will be injured, for example by injuring or starving or talking about taking their life, it may be relevant to receive care against their will.\u00a0There are various laws governing this.\u00a0You can\u00a0read more about forced care\u00a0here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You may need help, support and relief to cope with yourself.\u00a0Ask relatives or friends to help with practicality.\u00a0It can be a great help to get help with practical things like cooking, cleaning or picking up or leaving siblings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can talk to friends, others in the same situation or seek professional support.\u00a0For example, you can contact\u00a0a patient and close associate\u00a0for information, or contact others who have similar experiences.\u00a0You do not need to be a member to contact an association.\u00a0More information about being related can also be found on the NKA – National Competence Center website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As a parent, you have the right to receive support calls through care. By seeking help, you can get answers to your questions and reduce concerns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is very important that you get help if you have depression or any other diagnosis yourself. Otherwise, it will be difficult to help your child. Feel free to ask your child’s therapist how you can seek help yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If it is very difficult for you as a relative, you can also seek support from the social service. There may be conversation groups or other support for you as a relative. There may also be support for the child or teen, or for the whole family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Contact your municipality to find out what kind of support you have for relatives where you live.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is good if you in the family can talk openly about depression so that everyone knows what is happening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ask the person with the depression how they want the others in the family to get information. Ask the therapist for advice on how to do it best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As a sibling to someone who has depression, it is easy to feel forgotten.\u00a0Siblings can also be worried about getting sick themselves.\u00a0Therefore, it is important that siblings also receive information and sometimes participate in support discussions with the whole family.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A child or teenager can be depressed if they feel ill and have lost their appetite even for what they usually think they are doing. Seek help early if you think a child or teen has a depression. Most people get better already after a few weeks with the right treatment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2,1671,1654],"tags":[1682,1681,1683,1684],"class_list":["post-1202","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-diseases","category-depression","category-mental-illnesses-and-disorders","tag-depression-in-children","tag-depression-in-children-and-teenagers","tag-depression-in-teenagers","tag-symptoms-of-depression"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/zeepedia.com\/medical\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1202","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/zeepedia.com\/medical\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/zeepedia.com\/medical\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zeepedia.com\/medical\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zeepedia.com\/medical\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1202"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/zeepedia.com\/medical\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1202\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4204,"href":"https:\/\/zeepedia.com\/medical\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1202\/revisions\/4204"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/zeepedia.com\/medical\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1202"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zeepedia.com\/medical\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1202"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zeepedia.com\/medical\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1202"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Easy depression – everyday life can be handled<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Moderate depression – everyday life is difficult<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Severe depression affects life very much<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Common with other problems along with depression<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
When and where should you seek care?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The first line refers further if needed<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Seek medical care directly if thoughts or plans for suicide<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Investigations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Physical examination to exclude illness<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Treatment for depression in children and teenagers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Treatment for mild-moderate depression<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Treatment for severe depression<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Psychotherapy for depression in children and teenagers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Antidepressant drugs for children and teenagers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
What can I do as a relative?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Important to talk to the child<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Talk about suicidal thoughts<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Your support means a lot<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
You may need to stay home<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
If the person who is ill does not want help<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
You may need help and support<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Support from social services<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Include the whole family<\/h3>\n\n\n\n