Depression: the symptoms in children are not like in adults

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-03/dai-dts031408.php

Public release date: 14-Mar-2008
Contact: Dr. Stephan Mertens
mertens@aerzteblatt.de
Deutsches Aerzteblatt International
Depression: the symptoms in children are not like in adults

Depression is not always manifested in children as dejection and anhedonia. Depending on the age of the child, the dominant features may be weeping, irritability or defiance, as explained by Prof. Claudia Mehler-Wex and Dr. Michael Kölch of Ulm University in the new edition of Deutsches Ärzteblatt International (Dtsch Arztebl Int 2008; 105(9): 149-55).

The signs of depression in infants are often screaming, restlessness, and weeping attacks for no clear reason. Preschool children may behave irritably and aggressively, while schoolchildren may be listless and apathetic. The symptoms in adolescents become similar to those in adults.
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Depressive minors often exhibit other psychological abnormalities. Thus, anxiety disorders and disorders in social behavior occur widely, followed by substance abuse and aggression.