Depression In Adolescents

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Understand exactly what depression is. – Identify risk factors of major depression in children and adolescents. – Identify signs and symptoms of a child suffering from depression. – Describe age-related symptoms and possible dual diagnoses. – Define various treatment methods. – Understand the Nurse’s role in caring for a child with depression.
Key Terms:
– Major depression • A critical mood disorder that affects vital signs, lasts at least two weeks, and can threaten the lives of its sufferers through suicide. – Play therapy • A treatment of choice for depression in children who do not yet conceptualize well, which allows them to express through play. – SSRI (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor) • Anti-depressant drugs – CBT (Cognitive …show more content…
Depression is an illness that can affect any age, sex, ethnic group or class. Characteristics include: – Feeling sad (sadness that won’t go away) – Feeling guilty – Eating and sleeping too little or too much – Loss of energy and interest – Lack of focus
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Characteristics also include: – Feeling nervous, irritable, angry and unable to relax – Feeling badly about self – Thinking about hurting self – Thinking about death and suicide
***Some characteristics and symptoms may go undetected in some individuals
Depression in Pediatrics:
– In infants, depression may look like apathy, withdrawal, and developmental delay or inability to reach developmental milestones – In children, depression may look like the above plus be expressed through lingering somatic complaints (stomachaches, head- aches, etc.), while some children over-compensate by needing to achieve and please others – In adolescents, depression may look like the above plus be expressed through acting out, eating disorders, substance abuse, cutting and suicide, which are comorbid
Important facts about …show more content…
– In children, look for withdrawal from play, friends and family, changes in sleeping and eating patterns, and pay attention to physical symptoms, problems at school, increased emotional distress or agitation. – In adolescents, look for withdrawal from activities, friends and family, and pay attention to changes in self-maintenance habits, problems at school, degree of anger and acting out, substance abuse and talk of death or suicide.
Biological Factors
– Much research on some of the core symptoms of depression in adults reveals that little is known about the biological basis for depression in children and adolescents – Investigations have focused on the neuro- endocrine systems in the body, and the changes that occur in the interactions between the nervous and endocrine systems as the child becomes an adolescent, including stress factors and hormonal
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