Childhood and adolescent depression is often a recurrent and intermittent course of illness that continues sometimes into adulthood. Depression affects the child's emotional, psychological, education, social and physical health.

It has been found that around 1-3% of children and teenagers suffer from depression. Teenage girls are twice as likely to be depressed than teenage boys.

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How to Tell if Your Child has Depression?

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Parents may not always be aware of depression in their children.

Your child may show sadness, irritability, low or lack of interest

in his/her schooling and low self-esteem, may interact less with friends

and family, sleeping problems, loss of appetite and body weight.

Some children also present physical symptoms such as headaches, 

stomach aches and Psychomotor impairment.

Advanced cases of children and teenagers with depression might have

thoughts about suicide or self harm such as cutting their wrists or taking

an overdose.

At school, children and teenagers with depression can present with

behavioural problems, bullying and poor school performance.

Depression in children and teenagers are usually triggered by several factors

such as family difficulties, bullying, physical or emotional abuse.

Family history of depression also plays a major role, or unpleasant events such as parents separation or divorce,

bereavement or trouble with school.

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How to help your child?

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Your child may be reluctant to talk to you about their depressed feelings, although they might be open to talk to someone at school, a teacher or friends and they also might find it easy to talk to a therapist from CAMHS.

Parents play an important role in early recognition and the treatment program, the main aim of the treatment is to improve the symptoms, and help your child resume to a normal life.

The decision of the appropriate treatment approach will be depending on the severity of depression and how depression is affecting your child and if they may need different treatments.

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What type of treatments are available for your child at CMC CAMHS - Dubai?

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Psychotherapies:

Psychological treatments have been used extensively and are effective in mild to moderately severe depression.

Where available, psychological treatments are often used as a first-line treatment, particularly in younger adolescents and children.

Psychological therapies like CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy), ‘interpersonal therapy’ or family therapy, may be tried before considering other possibilities such as medication. However, this can depend upon the individual’s illness or their personal circumstances.

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What is the outcome of the treatment program?

It has been shown that about 10% of children and teenagers with depression recover spontaneously within three months, whereas 50% remain clinically depressed at twelve months and 20-30% at two years.

About 30% of young people with depression have recurrences within five years and many of these develop episodes into adult life.​​

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Cambridge Medical Centre (CMC) Child & Adolescent Mental Health information publications Copyright 2018.

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 Read more: 

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Depression in Children and Young People: information for young people
© March 2017 Royal College of Psychiatrists

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