Low Mood and Depression
Low mood and depression is often an emotional state characterized by a pervasive and prolonged sense of sadness, melancholy, or unhappiness. It is a mood state that can significantly impact a person’s overall well-being. Children often might be left feeling low in mood, feeling sad or irritable for periods of time. Oftentimes this may happen after getting a bad grade or a falling out with friends. But after a while, they tend to feel better again.
However persistent low mood, with their sadness lasting more than two weeks could indicate a deeper struggle and might point towards depression. They may also have irritability or hopelessness that lingers. It may affect your child’s sleep, appetite or relationships with others. Depression can also prevent your child from enjoying school, sports or hobbies they once enjoyed. In severe cases, depression can lead to thoughts of suicide.
Low Mood Symptoms
Younger children may find it difficult to express how they feel and be more inclined to express their emotions through anger or irritability, while adults might appear more withdrawn, defeated, and fatigued. Children may experience depression through physical symptoms like inexplicable stomach aches or headaches.
Low mood in teenagers may manifest with teenagers becoming socially withdrawn, having academic decline, or displaying extreme sensitivity to criticism may. Here are some common symptoms observed in children and teenagers.
Children experiencing low mood may appear consistently sad or downhearted. They may frequently express feelings of unhappiness or hopelessness.
While some children become withdrawn, others may become more irritable or easily frustrated when they’re feeling down.
Low mood can lead to disruptions in sleep. Children may have difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or they may oversleep.
Some children may eat significantly more or less than usual when they are in a low mood. This can result in noticeable changes in their weight.
Children may lose interest in activities they once enjoyed. They may withdraw from hobbies, friends, and social activities.
Low mood can lead to feelings of tiredness or lack of energy, even when the child has had enough sleep.
A child with low mood may have trouble focusing, both in school and in other activities.
Children may express vague physical complaints such as headaches, stomachaches, or other aches and pains, which may not have an identifiable medical cause.
They may withdraw from friends and family, preferring to be alone or spend more time in their room.
A child with low mood may express feelings of worthlessness or low self-esteem. They might be overly self-critical.
Frequent or unexplained crying spells can be a sign of low mood in children.
In more severe cases, children may express thoughts of self-harm or suicide.
Low Mood Diagnosis
Dealing with low mood and managing it requires a clinical assessment by a psychiatrist. This assessment may include a detailed interview and the use of standardized questionnaires to evaluate the severity and duration of low mood. It’s important to rule out underlying medical or psychological conditions that may be contributing to these symptoms.
Low Mood Disorder Impact
Low mood can have a significant impact on children in various aspects of their lives, including their emotional, social, academic, and physical well-being.
Emotional Impact: Children experiencing low mood disorder may feel sad, hopeless, and frustrated, which can affect their overall emotional well-being. This can lead to decreased self-esteem and self-confidence, making children doubt their abilities and worth. They may experience a sense of helplessness and a lack of motivation, making it challenging to engage in daily activities. Prolonged low mood can put children at a higher risk of developing anxiety and depressive disorders over time.
Social Impact: Low mood can lead to difficulty in forming and maintaining friendships, as children may find it hard to connect with their peers. They may withdraw socially and isolate themselves from friends and family, leading to feelings of loneliness.
Academic Impact: Low mood can result in decreased concentration and focus in school, which can hinder a child’s ability to learn effectively. Academic performance may decline as a result of the cognitive challenges brought on by low mood.
Physical Impact: Changes in appetite, such as overeating or undereating, may occur when children experience low mood. Sleep disturbances, including insomnia or excessive sleeping, can disrupt their sleep patterns and overall health. Low mood can lead to reduced energy levels and physical activity, impacting a child’s overall well-being.
Behavioral Impact: Children experiencing low mood may be at an increased risk of engaging in risky behaviors, including substance abuse. Some may resort to self-harming behaviors as a way to cope with their emotional pain.
Low Mood Disorder Causes
Low mood in children can have various underlying causes, and it’s important to identify and address these causes to provide appropriate support and intervention.
- Biological Factors: Family history of mood disorders can increase a child’s susceptibility. Changes in brain chemistry can also contribute to mood disturbances.
- Psychological Factors: Academic pressures, family conflicts, or bullying can create stress and lead to low mood. Exposure to traumatic events, such as abuse, accidents, or loss of a loved one, can be triggers as well. Low mood can also be a result of negative self-perception, self-criticism, or perfectionism.
- Environmental Factors: Parental separation, conflict, or instability at home can impact a child’s emotional well-being. Friendship problems or social isolation can cause emotional distress as well.
- Medical or Health Issues: Children dealing with chronic health conditions may experience low mood due to the challenges they face.
- Neurodevelopmental Disorders: Conditions like ADHD, autism, or other neurodevelopmental disorders can sometimes co-occur with low mood.
It’s crucial to involve mental health professionals in the evaluation and treatment process. Each child is unique, and treatment plans should be tailored to their individual needs and circumstances. Early intervention and ongoing support are key to helping children with low mood improve their emotional well-being and overall quality of life.
How is Low Mood Disorder Treated?
Treatment for low mood in children typically involves a combination of approaches, and the specific treatment plan will depend on the underlying causes and the severity of the child’s condition.
- Therapy: Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT): CBT is often used to help children identify and change negative thought patterns and develop healthier coping strategies.
- Play Therapy: For younger children, play therapy can be an effective way to express their emotions and work through their feelings in a safe and non-threatening environment.
- Family Therapy: In cases where family dynamics contribute to the child’s low mood, family therapy can help improve communication and relationships within the family.
- Medication: In some cases, medication may be prescribed, especially when low mood is severe and accompanied by a diagnosed mood disorder like depression.
Here are Some Frequently Asked Questions about Depression and Low Mood Disorder
If you feel your child has become withdrawn, or demonstrating low mood symptoms listed above for more than a week it would help to become more curious about why they are feeling that way and also seek professional guidance on whether further investigation is needed.
If you observe any marks or signs of cutting on the wrist or thighs (these will typically be done with a sharp object and look like scratches, and will be superficial) it is imperative to seek help immediately.
Additionally if you child has been feeling low and asks to speak to a professional it is recommended that they are provided support. Seeing a professional does not necessarily mean that they need medication or have to enter therapy – however it would provide an objective view of their struggles and plan of management. It also helps for a child to know that their cry for help has been acknowledged and makes it easier for them to reach out for help at later times.
It has been found that prevalence of depression ranges from 1.2 to 21% (clinical studies); 3-68% (school based studies) and 0.1 to 6.94 % (community based studies). There has been a steep increase in these statistics has raised concerns about children’s mental health.
Some of the risk factors include education related difficulties, family related issues, relationship difficulties with parents, economic concerns, and many other factors. Depression can impact school, home, social life and self esteem.
There are multiple ways of treatment for depression including:
Antidepressants are typically prescribed depending on the severity of depression. In moderate to severe cases of depression, medications along with therapy are suggested by mental health professionals.
There are different types of therapies with varying models which have been found to be effective in working with depression. Some of these models can look like:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): CBT aims to identify thought patterns and behaviors of the individual and how are they affecting them. CBT tends to focus on the present, how the individual thinks, feels and behaves in the present. After identifying the problematic thoughts and behaviors, the therapist helps in finding ways to change those patterns and adopt a more positive thoughts and behavior patterns.
Interpersonal Therapy (IPT): IPT focuses on the interpersonal relationships the individual has with others and the problems they might be having in those relationships. These can look like difficulties in communication, heightened conflict, coping with bereavement and so on. The therapist would work on the current difficulties and concerns in the relationship to help improve functioning.
Psychodynamic Psychotherapy: This form of therapy involves more open-ended discussions rather than a structured plan. There is deeper investigation of the individual’s defense mechanisms, dysfunctional patterns in interpersonal relationships or identifying behavior patterns they are not aware of in the present. There is more in-depth understanding of the emotions that the individual experiences, that they possibly were not aware of in the past. It helps the individual in building their own internal resources so that they are able to manage their problems in the future as well.
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