Materia Medica Malaysiana

Fighting depression in a child

Depression and mental illness are affecting more children and parents need to recognise the symptoms before they get worse, writes KASMIAH MUSTAPHA.

IF your child is withdrawn, refuses to participate in any activity and is always in a bad temper — and the symptoms persist for at least two weeks — these are signs that he or she is depressed.

Adults will find it difficult to believe that children can be depressed as we have in our mind an idealistic childhood — happy and carefree.

Yet, studies reveal that a child can face emotional problems and depression. Experts say clinical depression has been detected in toddlers, preschoolers and school-aged children.

Depression is one of the most common psychological disorders and is usually referred to as mood disorder. It affects a person's overall energy, emotions and behaviour.

Although the symptoms of a depressed child are different from those of an adult, the need to address the issue and seek treatment is just as serious. Depressed children can commit violent crimes, drop out of school and even commit suicide.

Dr Edward Chan, principal consultant psychologist at the Malaysian Psychology Centre, says children suffer from mental illness and depression because of low self-esteem and negative messages from adults and peers.

A child who is suffering from depression will display symptoms such as being insecure, withdrawn, excessive crying, irritability, changes in appetite and sleep pattern, he says.

"The child cannot concentrate and does not have the ability to enjoy things and people," he said after presenting a paper on "Children's Psychological Development" at a seminar in Kuala Lumpur recently.

He says although studies in Malaysia are scarce, in the US, research has shown that 1.9 per cent of schoolchildren meet the criteria for major depressive disorder while 33 per cent of elementary school children were at least mildly depressed. Every day in the US, six children commit suicide; 342 children under 18 are arrested for violent crimes and 2,833 children drop out of school.

Dr Chan says childhood emotional and psychological problems increase the likelihood of them developing similar psychological problems as adults. "As adults, they will have problems in managing their frustration, are unable to form any kind of relationship and find it difficult to hold down jobs." The fact that more children are expected to suffer from depression and mental illness is related to their lifestyle. Children growing up in today's world are exposed to so many negative things, including activities which they are involved in and also the food they take, he says.

"They behave impulsively, they have poor attention spans, display aggressive behaviour, are hyperactive, unable to communicate, are poor academically and are socially isolated." Dr Chan says children now are commonly exposed to fast-paced television programmes which make them unable to concentrate on slower paced daily activities.

The biggest challenge in raising children in today's world is to find quality time to inculcate family values amid the constant bombardment of advertisements, he says.

Parents need to become more involved in their children's activities instead of leaving children on their own most of the time. They should encourage imaginative activities such as drawing, story-telling or creating things with building bricks. "Children's diets should also be monitored to prevent candida infections which could lead to poor concentration and attention. Children should also undergo a food intolerance and candida test to identify food which can cause behavioural and emotional problems." Candida is a type of yeast growth found naturally in humans, especially in the stomach. Candida can, however, become pathogenic and abnormally dominant in our body.

Candida infection can result in learning difficulties, poor attention span, lack of energy, fatigue, moodiness, hyperactivity and weight problems.

He added that most importantly, parents should never allow their children to suppress negative feelings because this would also lead to the suppression of positive feelings. "Depression does not only mean that they are being sad but also that they are suppressing feelings. They are keeping everything inside, which is not healthy.

"Parents need to make an effort to spend time with their children and this should be a priority. When you have time with your child, try to arrange for one-to-one interaction, and get into their world." Parents should also build up their children's self esteem, appreciating and reinforcing positive qualities and giving constructive criticism rather than criticising, he says.

* The writer can be contacted at kasmiah@nstp.com.my