When They Need It Until the 1980s, it was generally thought that children could not become depressed. Now researchers recognize that children, like everyone else, are not immune from this insidious and dangerous disease. Because children often do not have the capacity to step back, look at themselves, and recognize that the way they re feeling isn t normal for them, diagnosis and treatment of depression is more difficult than for adults. It used to be thought that depression was caused by the loss of a loved one and the action of a punitive superego on the self a harsh way of evaluating oneself against standards that are impossible to meet. But now it seems to be accepted that depression is much more complex than that, perhaps with a genetic component, certainly a psychophysiological disease that affects thought, emotions, behavior, and the body.
Depression can present a confusing picture in children and adolescents.
Sometimes children will let it be known that they feel hopeless, empty, or permanently sad the signs we look for in adults. But more often children cannot express their feelings so directly and we must interpret their behavior. Children, especially boys, may simply appear unusually angry or sullen. If this mood is unrelieved for more than a week, and especially if it does not seem to come in response to some real disappointment or loss, most likely the parent should seek help. Especially worrisome is a loss of interest in things that used to give pleasure, as when a child seems not to care any longer for favorite toys or activities.