Signs of depression and anxiety in children and teens

As a parent, monitoring your child’s emotional state can be challenging. Particularly with teenagers, it can be tough to know whether your teen is experiencing typical adolescent angst or something more serious, like clinical depression. Depression can affect children and adolescents in many of the same ways it affects adults.

Signs of depression and anxiety

Symptoms of depression in children may include:

• Changes in sleep patterns, including needing more sleep or getting less of it
• Difficulty concentrating or feeling that easy tasks are difficult
• Loss of interest in favorite toys, games, activities or friends
• Changes in appetite, including loss of appetite or eating more
• Irritability, frequent anger or other mood changes

Depression and anxiety often go hand-in-hand. In fact, experts estimate that up to 85 percent of those with one condition will show symptoms of the other.

Your child may suffer from anxiety if he or she shows the following symptoms:

• Feeling constantly tense, worried or on edge
• Crying at school, having behavioral problems or changes in grades
• Feeling persistent, irrational fears, like missing the bus, forgetting homework or having a pop quiz
• Believing something bad will happen if things aren’t done a certain way
• Avoiding everyday situations or activities because they cause anxiety

Depression and anxiety can also cause these physical problems:

• Stomach upset or nausea
• Frequent urination or diarrhea
• Headaches
• Fatigue
• Trouble sleeping

What's negatively impacting your child's mental health

Be especially attuned to your child during times of change. Moving and changing schools, losing a friend or loved one, or breaking up with a boyfriend or girlfriend can trigger depression or anxiety.

On average, one in four children in the U.S population meet the criteria for a lifetime mental disorder. It is important to make sure that you are proactive in protecting your child’s mental health and aware of damaging everyday influences. While it is important to provide your child with the necessities, such as a loving home, positive reinforcement and a healthy diet, there are a handful of factors that usually go unnoticed and can have a negative impact on your child’s mental health.

Sugar

While the negative effects of a sugar-rich diet on your child’s physical health are widely known, the effects sugar has on a child’s mental health often go unnoticed. A diet too high in sugar can contribute to a variety of mental issues, including depression, addiction, anxiety and problems with learning and memory.

Non-descriptive praise

Praising your children is never a bad thing; however, your child’s mental health can benefit exponentially from you specifically telling them what you want them to do instead of saying what you want. Even the use of sticker or star charts can help reinforce specific, desirable behavior, lifting your child’s confidence and encouraging good mental health.

Health problems with family members

When a child is exposed to a family member or loved one with an enduring health condition or sickness at home, they are often unable to cope with the stress and reality of the situation. This type of stress is called toxic stress and can affect the way a child’s brain develops. This is often difficult to handle when dealing with a loved on who is dying but parents who can recognize this issue early should schedule play dates, take their kids out for activities and attempt to spend as much time away from the source of toxic stress at home.

Low exposure to "positive stress"

Positive stress is derived from small, everyday challenges in your child’s life such as small failures, nervousness or slight fear. These everyday interactions draw positive stress responses from your child and while they may cause him or her a small amount of stress, it also teaches crucial coping mechanisms that will provide the foundation of durable mental health.

Infections

Infections and viruses such as strep have been linked to sudden onsets of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and other behavioral problems following treatment in children. This remarkable link between virus and mental issues has been named PANS or Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome. To combat PANS, you should be proactive in getting infections and viruses treated as quickly and as thoroughly as possible.

When to call the doctor

Talk to your child’s teacher and school guidance counselor to see if they have noticed any changes in behavior. Your pediatrician or family doctor is also a great resource. Behavioral health professionals can help determine whether there may be an underlying medical issue or developmental challenge that could be causing your child’s symptoms.

It's important for parents to watch for signs of serious health concerns or a mental health crisis. You can seek help through Riley Children's Health psychiatry at several Indiana locations. If you think your child is an immediate danger to themselves or to others, it's time to call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.

If you are unsure whether your child's behavior requires emergency care, you can dial 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. This hotline helps assess your situation and plan the next steps.