How can depression affect my child's life?

The effects of depression can impact every aspect of a child’s life. Feelings of happiness, contentment, enthusiasm, and pleasure are diminished. Activities once enjoyed are no longer of interest, and many children with symptoms of depression experience fatigue and listlessness. School and other activities that require concentration become extremely difficult. Even love, an emotion of pleasure, becomes difficult to feel when symptoms of depression are being experienced.

Children with depression may miss out on crucial events and social activities that are important for the development of independence. If a child is socially inactive due to depression, he or she may grow up with long-term issues with trust and intimacy.

Many people with depression describe a feeling of separation from themselves. They view their life from the outside, like watching a movie. This isolation impacts relationships with friends and loved ones. Until the symptoms of depression are treated, depression negatively alters life and makes it extremely difficult for those suffering from it.

Because children may be unable to articulate their feelings, it is the responsibility of the caretakers to determine the extent of the problem and the necessity for treatment.