Does not enjoy what was fun before - games, trips, parties. Gets angry or irritated for little or no cause. Change in eating or sleeping habits - too much or too little. Change in number of fights - picks more fights or won't fight back when hit. Bed wetting or loss of bowel control after years of control.
School work becomes a problem.
Child gets involved in activities with no regard for safety that may lead to serious injury or death such as reckless driving, playing with a loaded gun, cliff diving. Talk with your child to find out how the youngster feels and how long these feelings have lasted. If your child has lost something or someone, talk about how we all feel depressed when losing someone we care about. Later you can talk with your child about what can be done to help the youngster feel good again. Active play can help reduce mild feelings of depression.