Depression in Children and Adolescents- Suzette Brown

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suzette: Hello Everyone, I am Suzette. How many of you have pre-adolescent or teens?

sonya: Does anyone have any children who you think may have early signs of depression?

chatadmin: Suzette,could you tell us some of the signs to look for in teen depression

suzette: I have a 15 year old who was diagnosed and because she is also ADHD. Some of her signs were she was skipping a lot of her classes, no longer enhoying activities with her siblings, agrumentative, moody and running away ocsassional. Just to name a few.

suzette: She like being my hersel and became bored easily. Her favorite phrase was "I am bored".

suzette: Do you all know that depression is common in teens and younger children?

suzette: About 5 percent of children and adolescents in the general population suffer from depression at any given point in time.

suzette: I personally did not want my daughter on medication, but after making an appointment with a psychiatrist she is now on 30 mg of adderall RX and 30 mg of Zoloft. I saw a tremendous difference.

suzette: Usually it can be as young as any school age. Signs are different according to their development.

Judy: What impact do you think behavioral therapy plays in decreasing/overcoming depression?

suzette: According to researchers a child as young as a toddler can suffer from depression, isn't that amazing?

suzette: I can only think that observing and seeking help at the early stages can be a preventative measure. Early detection is key.

suzette: I have read a lot of psychologicals and it seems that children that are diagnosed with ADHD or also usually depressed.

suzette: Behavior therapy plays an important role in helping to manage behavior, but it also may take medication too.

sonya: That is interesting to me, I have a 8 year old that has been diagnosed with ADHD.

suzette: How is your 8 year olds behavior? Do you seen any signs of depression?

suzette: I have heard and read different opinions about the side-effects of different medicaitons. My daughter when she first started with Zoloft she would have hot flashes. The long term effects according to researchers is heart damage, but the percentage is low, according to them.

sonya: Her behavior has calmed down; although she tends to be moody at times and also becomes bored very easily. She really is not argumentative.

suzette: It sure can be genetic. My daughters biological mother also suffers from depression.

suzette: Do anyone other than me have children on medication for depression?

sonya: Because she is adopted, I don't know if she has a family history of depression. It's like a missing piece to the puzzle.

suzette: Another sign that is also close to ADHD is poor concentration. That is why some children are ADHD/Depression. Its almost like sometimes its hard to determine one from the other when it comes to the signs. That why it is very important to seek professional help.

chatadmin: What types of support/services would you recommend to help teens work through their feelings.

suzette: I would suggest to have constant contact with the childs therapist,, and buddy with someone that has a child that also suffers from depression. It is really smoothing to know that we are not alone with some of our challenges.

suzette: If you have support organizations for example, foster/adopt groups that meet monthly, also workshops are good. I love to attend workshops to better understand what my daughter is going through.

suzette: She has not, I don't think that would be good for her now. She is still adjusting to her diagnosis. Keep in mind that especially teens at this age are very sensitive to labels. They also can be in denial.

suzette: My daughter was not taking her medication at the beginning of her diagnosis. I still have to monitor her and make sure that she takes it daily even though she is 15.

suzette: No they are not. And even some adults are in denial of our diagnosis too. So we really have to be patient with our children while they try to adjust to this challenge. And it really is a challenge. My daughter is secretative about it.

sonya: Is it necessary for frequent monitoring from the doctor who prescribed the medication as well. Is it common for teens to lose their appetite?

suzette: Do any you have any suggestions how we as parents can support our children during these times?

suzette: Let me ask you all this question. Do you believe that a person who sufferes from depression can also be sucidial?

sonya: I have read that sometimes a person can become suicidal after taking the medication. What do you think?

sonya: I'm sure this could become more complicated if the child had multiple diagnosis. It seems that it would be more challenging.

suzette: According to some media coverage last year some parents had taken their cases to the supreme court about medications and they had lost their loved ones who had suffered from depression. So, yes I do think their is a very low chance that the medication may cause suidical tendencies.

suzette: I personally do watch my daughters behavior carefully. Being that I am not an advocate for medication.

suzette: Do any of you have children who are ADHD or have parented children who are and may have exhibited some of these behaviors?

suzette: Now let us not forget that teen moodiness is a normal part of adolescent development. In part, it is caused by hormonal changes that cause mood to fluctuate. Some of the signs may be typical developmental.

Dana: How can you tell if it is moodiness or if it may be a serious problem with depression

suzette: If your child has severe mood swings and seems to be agitated frequently about anything, I would seek professional advice.

suzette: Personally my daughter was moody, but it a severe case of up this minute and down the other. Even if I asked her to repeat something, she would get agitated.

sonya: How does this affect the teen once they reach adulthood? Will they have to take medication for life?

suzette: Extra curricular acivities are good for children who are ADHD/depressed. My daughter plays basketball and it seems to calm her a lot and keep her motivated.

suzette: Their could be a possibility that depression can go on into adulthood. But even if it does, there is medications and therapy where a person can live a normal life.

Judy: I find that the moodiness really gets in the way in social situations. do you have any suggestions?

suzette: Maybe start with small social events and also partnering with someone could also ease a persons anxiety which could make them fearful and cause them to be moody.

suzette: I just want to "Thank You" for this opportunity and wish all of you the best and most of all continue to support and love your children no matter what they may be going through. God Bless.

Depression in Children and Adolescents- Suzette Brown

Tuesday, the 28th of March 2006