Confusing the issue is the fact that early-onset depression can manifest itself in ways not normally associated with adult depression, such as high anxiety and agitation. And in case you hadn't noticed, normal teens exhibit many of these same mind-boggling behaviors. Perhaps, before we start kicking, we should start paying attention. Making matters worse is the fact that kids, ever sensitive to stigma, are not inclined to speak up. That is, assuming these services are available.
Rich kids are as susceptible as poor ones.
After a certain age, girls become far more likely victims, probably due to concerns about their appearance and fitting in. But the terrible truth is we simply don't know. Child psychiatry lags behind our knowledge of both psychiatry as a whole and other childhood illnesses, this despite the great need to find out how young brains work, which are not simply miniature replicas of our own. Prescribing a common antidepressant in either of these cases may well send your child bouncing off walls. And because kids are not miniature adults, antidepressants designed for older brains can sometimes launch younger minds into manic states.