Dr. Busman said she works with children who can say, “I don’t want to kill myself, but I feel so bad that I don’t know what else to do and say.”
If a child talks about the desire to die, ask what that child means and ask a therapist for help if you are worried. Such a statement can be a real sign that a child is suffering, so don’t reject it or classify it as something the child is saying just to get attention, she said.
How can treatment help?
“Parents should take their child’s symptoms very seriously,” said Jonathan Comer, professor of psychology and psychiatry at Florida International University. “In severe forms, it increases like a snowball over time, and earlier onset is associated with worse results throughout life.”
In a 2016 longitudinal study, Dr. Kovacs and her colleagues traced the course of depression beginning in childhood and found recurrent episodes in adulthood.
Therefore, if you notice changes such as withdrawal from activity, irritability or sadness, fatigue or sleep disturbances that persist for two weeks, consider evaluating the child by someone who is familiar with mental health problems in children of that age. Start with your pediatrician, who will know about the resources available in your area.
Parents should insist on a comprehensive mental health assessment, Busman said, including collecting parental records, spending time with the child and talking to the school. An assessment should include questions about the symptoms of depression, as well as looking for other problems, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or anxiety, which may be at the root of the child’s suffering.
Early treatment is effective, said Dr. Comer, “There is fantastic evidence for family-focused treatment for childhood depression – it focuses on family interactions and their impact on mood.” With children aged 3 to 7, he said, versions of parent-child interaction therapy, known as PCIT, are often used – essentially training parents and helping them to emphasize and praise what is positive about their children’s behavior. .