Brief: Depression in children is very real
Psychiatric intervention is often needed to manage the co-occurring difficulties and the depressive symptoms as mentioned in the article.
André Swart, clinical psychologist, Bela-Bela, writes:
The article in Die Pos of Friday 14 July regarding depression in children refers.
My experience in the practice in both Pretoria and Bela-Bela shows an increase in the diagnosis of depression in the adolescent population.
With regard to the specific population mentioned in the article, it is always important to understand that the adolescent is part of a bigger family system.
They are striving towards independence and at the same time they are required to comply with the rules of the family.
This often results in an escalation of conflict between family members, often resulting in blame and also moral judgment being expressed.
In turn, the adolescent starts distancing themselves from their parents at the same time they want the parent’s emotional support.
If for some reason they do not feel emotionally safe enough within a specific relationship, they may start isolating more.
Within this isolation they are unable to develop new perspectives regarding their difficulties and problem solving becomes more and more ineffective. This may result in hopelessness and helplessness setting in as they become more pessimistic about their future and the cycle repeats itself, as depression escalates.
From a psycho-therapeutic perspective, the aim is to provide an opportunity for the individual to feel emotionally safe enough to explore the possible contributing factors that are maintaining and perpetuating the experience of depression.
The psychotherapist and client team up to find the contributing factors that maintain and perpetuate the depression. This may also include co-occurring difficulties, such as disorders like autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder/ attention deficit disorder (ADHD/ADD), psychological trauma bereavement, etc.
Psychiatric intervention is often needed to manage the co-occurring difficulties and the depressive symptoms as mentioned in the article.
During psychotherapy, the uniqueness of the individual and their circumstances are explored so that a thorough understanding may be developed.
This empathetic understanding, together with displaying acceptance towards the adolescent, are powerful tools in developing an emotionally safe relationship, that allows for the identifying contributing factors and behaviors that may maintain or perpetuate the depressive experience.
One other variable that is not often mentioned, however, as I have observed, is of critical importance. It is to identify and indicate special characteristics or achievements about the young person.
They often experience criticism and harshness from others. When someone acknowledges their efforts and confirms that they like what the young person has done, they light up.
This then also allows for further work to be done regarding those behaviors that are not optimal.
