Childhood Depression

The Increased Prevalence of Psychiatric Diseases and Global Mental Health

The increased prevalence of psychiatric diseases has generated concerns about global mental health, with WHO predicting that by 2021, depression would be one of the top causes of global disease issues. Depressive disorders affect not just the elderly, but also young children in their early adolescence. In Brazil, for example, childhood depression is predicted to affect 7.5% of children aged fourteen. As one of the primary areas of psychology, the paper describes a scholarly publication that examines depression in children. The method that was used is a qualitative systematic review, of the writings about kids’ depression which were formerly selected in electronic databases. The reason as to why the method was preferred is because method such as meta-analysis, which is one of the qualitative approaches, is able to provide information on the size as well as the age at which the depressive orders are realized, which may not be available in the other methods (Hosang et al., 2014). Therefore, added but very important information is given, which contributed to the method being used in this scientific journal. Literature research was also via Medline and SciELO databases, between January 2010, and November 2012. The reason as to why the period was preferred is because it is the time when the invisibility of kids depression was broken due to a series of research-founded advantages of Psychiatric Reform. The methods used provided vital information about childhood depression mostly on the structure, components, and functioning of the mental medical care regarding childhood depression.

Results

It was found out that unipolar depression levels are low prior to puberty stage, that increase as from the early teens whereby the girls are mostly affected. Concurrent comorbidity where both disruptive and emotional challenges are rampant, mostly among the young kids across all the ages (Rock et al., 2014). The signs that are seen before youth depression becomes pronounced are anxiety, abnormal behaviors and an increase in alcohol consumption or the drugs abuse. The later experiences realized among these young people are; suicidal feelings, challenges in social interaction as well as poor physical and mental health. The risk factor that contributes to childhood depression is family, where the kids born and grown in families with histories of depression and stressful events in their lives are most affected by depression. There are also genetic and environmental factors that were considered as risk factors into the youth becoming depressed. The problems are seen mostly in the female gender, where they are helped by the use of psychological therapy or medications that are known for acting as antidepressants.

Discussion

The risk factors that were mostly identified were; cognitive styles, interparental conflicts, analgesia, and child maltreatment. There are also the factors of prenatal drug exposure, surrounding processes and the operational connectivity of amygdala. The research showed that when the parents offer warmth or else rejection to the children, it affects them and the cognitive style that is used functions as the moderator. Also, is was realized that depressive symptomology is closely related to the children liking the sweet tasting foods, and candies and more pain sensitivity and that depression showed the significant components of sucrose. The study that was conducted in Brazil showed that the children who were brought up in the families with low income showed high levels of depression which were combined with family violence. The prenatal drug availability is also associated with emotions regulation which in most cases leads to anxiety or depression character in childhood. It was also found out that the relational aggression is closely related to depressive signs which are interconnected to suicidal ideation in the clinical population.

Associating Parents’ Depression with That of Children

Associating the parents’ depression with that of the children comes as a result of the environment that the parents provide to the kids. If the children are used to marital fights which lead to them being maltreated which makes them feel stressed and later signs of depression are realized (Yap et al., 2014).

Preventive Measures for Childhood Depression

In order to prevent these cases of childhood depression, Dutch controlled trial which was based in schools was used and was meant to reduce the risk factors that contributed to childhood depression. The program was mainly on cognitive behavioral counseling, on issues such as psycho-education, relaxation activities, problem-solving skills and the reconstructive exercises which were to help the young people evade from childhood depression. The children were able to learn that they had the ability to do their best and prevent themselves from the risk factors causing youth depression since the end results were disappointing. The reason as to why the study provided the preventive measures was to help the young people get the solutions for the problems that are rising at high rates due to the young people committing suicides, dropping out of school and consumption of drugs due to depressive factors that they are exposed to.

Conclusion

Basing the paper on the thesis about as scientific journal on childhood depression, it is clear that the challenge has affected a large group of people and the effects ought to be reduced. The risk factors can be prevented and this would result in the spreading issue stopped. That means that the study was able to get a solution to the problem of childhood depression.

References

Hosang, G. M., Shiles, C., Tansey, K. E., McGuffin, P., & Uher, R. (2014). The interaction between stress and the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism in depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Medicine, 12(1), 7.

Rock, P. L., Roiser, J. P., Riedel, W. J., & Blackwell, A. D. (2014). Cognitive impairment in depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychological Medicine, 44(10), 2029-2040.

Yap, M. B. H., Pilkington, P. D., Ryan, S. M., & Jorm, A. F. (2014). Parental factors associated with depression and anxiety in young people: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Affective Disorders, 156, 8-23.