DEPRESSION, anxiety, frustration, sadness and such other terms are common when we talk about adults in society owing to their responsibilities, challenges, struggles and failures. It is alarming, however, that such terms are now being commonly used for our young generation.

When I say the young generation, it means the early years of the child. Data shows that age three is the lowest at which depression can hit a child, and age 3-6 years is the most vulnerable period for the children in this regard.

We have no idea about how depression in the early years harms our children. People often wonder how a child so young may feel depressed, but that does not change the fact that children do get depressed. However, their depression or the reason for being depressed may not be the same as that of the adults.

For instance, children may get depressed owing to parent’s separation, pressure from school, teachers, or parents, death of a loved one, not having friends, poor physical health, negative life events, bad environment and many more reasons.

But now we need to understand that just because a child seems sad does not necessarily mean they have clinical depression, but if the sadness becomes persistent or interferes with normal social activities or family life, it may mean that they have a depressive illness.

Another question which people often have in mind is about the possible ways in which one may know that the child is depressed. The fact is that the condition often goes undiagnosed and untreated because symptoms are passed off as routine emotional and physiological changes.

Medical studies tell us some noticeable symptoms that may lead to anger, sadness or low mood, a feeling of hopelessness, mood swings, change in social activities, loss of interest in major areas, and poor academics. Not all children have all of these symptoms; it can happen at different times, in different settings. As adults, it is our responsibility to take care of our children and their mental health, and for that, we need to be patient with them.

If your child has been suffering from depression, treat him/her with love, talk to them about their favourite thing or about the reason for being sad, enjoy daily life moments with them, and generally have a good time with them. However, if a child has some serious issues, do not hesitate to take them to a therapist.

Parents whould set up a visit and do what the doctor recommends, because if we will not take such steps today, our child would tomorrow not be able to move forward in the cut-throat modern world.

Urooj Sultan
Thatta

Published in Dawn, July 7th, 2022