Tonge,
Box 4
www.mja.com.au
© 1998 MJA
| Depression
Symptoms
-
Persistent depressed mood, unhappiness and irritability
-
Loss of interest in play and friends
-
Loss of energy and concentration
-
Deterioration in schoolwork
-
Loss of appetite and no weight gain
-
Disturbed sleep
-
Thoughts of worthlessness and suicide (suicide attempts are rare
before age 10, then increasing)
-
Somatic complaints (headache, abdominal pain)
-
Comorbid anxiety, conduct disorder, attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder, eating disorders or substance abuse
Family factors
-
Family stress (ill or deceased parent, family conflict,
parental separation)
-
Repeated experience of failure or criticism
-
Family history of depression
Management
-
Cognitive-behavioural therapy
-
Family therapy for grief and conflict
-
Psychotherapy (interpersonal therapy)
-
Success achievement school programs
-
Antidepressant drugs: role still to be established in children; more
useful in adolescents
Back to
article . . .
|