Abuse and neglect are potentially traumatic experiences for children and adolescents, with multiple effects on their emotional, behavioral, and social well-being. One consequence of these events is the onset of depression. Whether it is an isolated episode or depression that persists over a longer period of time, this condition has an impact on the child’s life.

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, depressive disorders are characterized by “the presence of a sad, empty, or irritable mood, accompanied by somatic and cognitive changes that significantly impair the individual’s ability to function.”

Signs that may indicate the presence of depression in children and adolescents:

Feelings of sadness and/or inner emptiness: sometimes the child says they are sad, cries, or displays a sad expression; other times they do not talk about it or say they feel nothing, but you may notice that they no longer enjoy things as they used to, are constantly distracted, or lost in thought;
Irritability and/or outbursts of anger: sadness can often be masked by irritability or anger, because the child doesn’t realize what’s happening to them or what they’re truly feeling; As a result, they may reject you, refuse to talk to you, fly off the handle over seemingly nothing, yell, or even hit; they may overreact to a comment or a situation;
Low self-esteem: they lack confidence, care too much about others’ opinions, often compare themselves to others, consider themselves inferior, speak negatively about themselves, have a hard time accepting compliments, are full of doubts, are afraid of making mistakes, let others treat them badly, and prefer to please them;
Social withdrawal: You notice that they’ve started to isolate themselves, avoid going out with friends, and spend less and less time with family; often, they’d rather be alone than participate in activities with others;
Decreased interest or enjoyment in activities: for some time now, they haven’t been having as much fun as they used to, no longer enjoy activities they used to like, have given up hobbies they were interested in, or are less motivated to pursue them;
Lack of hope: you notice they’ve become more pessimistic, they only think about negative scenarios, they talk about a bleak future, and they can no longer see the glass as half full;
Poor performance in school: they’ve started getting low grades or grades below their previous level, are no longer paying attention in class, make frequent mistakes, and seem distracted;
Changes in eating habits: the child or teenager is eating more or less than they used to; you’ve noticed weight gain or loss;
Feelings of guilt and shame: they feel guilty about everything, even when they aren’t responsible; often, the intensity of these feelings of guilt and shame is much stronger than you would normally expect in a given situation;
Lack of energy and motivation: he no longer engages in activities as much as before; it seems as though nothing interests him anymore, or he doesn’t see the point in making plans or sticking to them; he is always tired and prefers to stay in bed or be alone;
Physical discomfort: they complain of stomachaches or headaches more and more often, are almost always tired, and don’t feel well physically, despite having no medical issues;
Sleep problems: they’ve started sleeping more than usual or, conversely, are sleeping much less;
Suicidal thoughts and/or attempts: talks obsessively about death, says that people would be better off without him or that he wishes he didn’t exist, intentionally harms himself or uses drugs, attempts to take his own life.

Semnale de alarmă care indică nevoia de a apela urgent la un specialist:

1. Copilul petrece aproape tot timpul singur, este extrem de retras și de trist.
2. Copilul consumă excesiv alcool, droguri sau petrece timp cu anturaje dubioase.
3. Copilul este obsedat de ideea de moarte sau suicid.
4. Copilul amenință că se omoară, se rănește intenționat sau a încercat să se sinucidă.

Cum să ajuți un copil cu depresie:

1. Informează-te cu privire la semnele depresiei.
2. Ascultă fără să judeci.
3. Învață-l strategii de relaxare.
4. Pregătește-i mese sănătoase.
5. Încurajează-l să facă sport zilnic.
6. Îndeamnă-l să socializeze.
7. Stabilește reguli sănătoase acasă.
8. Găsește oportunități să îl apreciezi.
9. Practică activități plăcute cu el.
10. Nu intra în panică dacă îți spune că vrea să moară.
11. Caută ajutor de specialitate: psiholog, psihiatru.
12. Ai grijă de propria sănătate.

Ce îi poți spune copilului tău cu depresie:

„E ok să te simți așa.”

„Sunt aici, dacă vrei să vorbim despre asta.”

„E ok să iei lucrurile mai ușor.”

„Vom trece peste asta împreuna, încetul cu încetul.”

„Nu e nevoie să te prefaci că ești bine. E ok să spui sincer ce simți.”

„Aș vrea să știi că nu ești singur.”

„Hai să găsim o cale sănătoasă prin care să gestionezi ce simți.”

„Starea ta e importantă pentru mine.”

„Sunt mândră de tine că vorbești despre cum te simți.”

„Pot să fac ceva să te simți mai bine?”

„Te iubesc!”

Ce să NU îi spui copilului tău cu depresie:

„E totul doar în capul tău.”

„Exagerezi.”

„Ieși odată din starea asta.”

„Alții pățesc lucruri mult mai grave.”

„Nu te mai plânge.”

„Vei fi pedepsit dacă mai continui așa.”

„Mă superi.”

„Ești atât de dificil.”

„Tu doar vrei atenție.”

„Este vina ta.”

Un diagnostic psihiatric poate fi stabilit doar de către un medic psihiatru. Articolul de față reprezintă doar un material cu rol informativ pentru părinți/ adulți care intră în contact cu minori despre care există suspiciuni că ar fi putut fi expuși unor situații de abuz și asupra cărora sunt observate semne ce pot indica simptome depresive.

Bibliografie:

American Psychiatric Association, DSM-5, Manual de Diagnostic și Clasificare Statistică a Tulburărilor Mintale, Text revizuit, Editura Callisto, 2024;

https://www.nami.org/depression-disorders/5-things-you-can-do-to-help-your-child-with depression/

https://www.choosingtherapy.com/how-to-help-a-child-with-depression/

https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/childrens-mental-health/depression-anxiety-mental-health/

Articol realizat de Diana Munteanu, psiholog clinician & psihoterapeut, Centrul Barnahus