World Mental Health Day: How parents can recognize depression signs in children
Remote learning, anxiety and uncertainty have taken a toll on adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A recent national study found a 30% increase in demand for psychological services for children under 13 and a 16% jump for adolescents.
“This prolonged pandemic has caused our kids to have to really endure a quite deal of stress,” said Dr. Khadijah Booth Watkins, associate director of the Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds at Massachusetts General Hospital. “The uncertainty of it all has really taken an emotional toll. They’ve experienced a tremendous amount of stress and loss.”
There are some warning signs that parents can watch out for.
“We are looking for changes. Changes in who they typically are, changes in how they typically behave. Things like changes in appetite, changes in sleep, changes in their mood – if they are no longer taking care of themselves. Those are the early signs,” Watkins said.
Watkins added there are also some severe signs of depression.
“Other signs would be prolonged sadness, isolation and withdrawal. If they don’t want to be around you, around friends or they don’t want to go to school -- a decline in their performance. If they used to be good students and now they are not and they are struggling,” Watkins said.
Click here for more mental health resources.