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Strollerderby
Childhood is supposed to be the happiest time of our lives. Through the rose-tinted glasses of memory, most of us look back fondly on our early years as a time of simplicity, contentment and joy. Sure, maybe some bad things happened to us. But we were basically happy.
Children laugh many times more frequently than adults do. Little ones especially bubble over with giggles at the slightest provocation.
What about kids who aren’t happy? Can depression emerge early in childhood? Even in preschool?
An increasing number of psychiatrists and social scientists are saying yes. Preschool depression isn’t an accepted DSM diagnoses yet, but it may be on its way. In the meantime, cutting edge researchers and doctors are treating kids as young as 3 for depression.
Children, very young children, in fact, can suffer from depression. Sometimes the depression is triggered by a move or a parents divorce. Other times, it can come on unexpectedly — so much so, it’s often ignored or attirbuted to some other reason.
But depression in kids, even ones 3, 5, 7 years old, is serious. The earlier treatment is sought — whether it’s through medication or talk therapy or both — the more prepared a family can be for the onset of adolescence, when depression can lead to more dangerous behaviors.
Parenting magazine, via CNN, lists some signs of childhood depression. Your child may be depressed if he or she exhibits five or more of the following behaviors: Continue reading »
I recently wrote about why I took Prozac while pregnant despite the potential risks. When my story ran on Yahoo’s Shine, I was slammed for my decision. People called me selfish for having children in the first place. Others said because I was “weak” for not kicking my “addiction,” my children were going to be born drug addicts. One person came right out and called me a “bad mother,” while another suggested “all the wrong people breed.”
The ignorance about depression and antidepressants stunned me. People still think of Prozac as a “happy pill” and believe that depression is something you can just kick if you have the will power.
Needless to say, I fear this latest news will make my decision to take Prozac while pregnant seem all the more reckless.
Time Magazine recently reported on a new study which linked certain antidepressants to a higher rate for miscarriages. Continue reading »
May is Mental Health Month and a good time to talk about a subject that many parents are unaware even exists: depression in preschoolers.
The National Mental Health Information Center estimates that as many as one in five children and adolescents may have a mental health disorder, including chronic depression. But according to experts, even children as young as three can suffer the debilitating effects of this disorder. And the signs are not always easy to recognize. Continue reading »
Bummed out about your body? Need to lose a few pounds? Whatever you do, don’t gripe about your appearance in front of your kids or try out a crash diet.
A study published in the May 2010 issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health suggests that when parents have a healthy attitude about food and their bodies, their overweight teens do as well.
After analyzing surveys from 103 overweight adolescents and their parents –mostly mothers– researchers found that psychological factors like parents’ depression, self-esteem, body satisfaction and emphasis on thinness influenced their teenage children (I think it’s safe to conclude that younger kids are influenced as well).
“There was a pretty strong association between parent body satisfaction and adolescent body satisfaction,” said Taya Cromley, Ph.D., who led the study at University of California, San Diego. “Messages from parents about weight and body image can be communicated directly or indirectly. It’s important to consider what the message is that’s being communicated.” Continue reading »
There’s a shocking cure for the baby blues: sleep deprivation.
The New York Times reports that depressed new mothers who stay up all night will find their depression lifted by morning. They say:
Sleep deprivation used as a treatment for depression is efficacious and robust: it works quickly, is relatively easy to administer, inexpensive, relatively safe and it also alleviates other types of clinical depression.
Most new parents are painfully familiar with sleep deprivation, and I’ve never heard anyone say it made life with a new baby better. What’s up with this research? Continue reading »
The research on parents who are depressed is overwhelming. To cite just one long-term study of adults who grew up with depressed parents, they suffered three times the rate of anxiety disorders and depression by their 30s compared to kids whose parents had no mental disorders, they were in poorer health and were much more likely to be dependent on drugs and alcohol.
That’s, well, that’s depressing. But the good news is that there’s growing evidence that the effects of having a depressed parent are reversible, according to this LA Times report. Continue reading »
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