2.Children less than 13 years of age who have not been immunized and have not had chickenpox should receive 1 dose. Because there are situations when the vaccine is not recommended, you may want to discuss the use of this vaccine, including benefits and side effects, with your child's health care provider. Return to top Children Can Be Depressed Too Although it isn't as common as it is in adults, children too can suffer from depression. Many times those episodes are due to what is happening in their lives, such as parents divorcing, death in the family, or other events. However, says Dr. Kuperman, if there is no explainable cause for the sadness, and it lasts more than two weeks, a child could be depressed.
Psychiatrists classify childhood depression into two types-major depressive disorder and dysthymia.
Dysthymia is a milder form of depression that tends to come on gradually and be more long term, Dr. Kuperman says. These children will have periods of time for up to a year when they are sad, but in general their unhappiness is not as severe as someone who has a major depression. Dysthymia is also often found in conjunction with other problems, such as learning disabilities, family upheaval, or other problems associated with childhood. Methods of treating children with depression include psychotherapy, medication, or a combination of both. In one form of psychotherapy, cognitive therapy, psychiatrists teach children how to think differently about and cope with their life experiences.