With the pressures of society coming down heavily on our children, anxiety and mood disorders have become extremely prevalent. Though the term Ã

Originally posted 2006-10-03 11:49:45.

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“Many doctors and psychiatrists prescribe synthetic anti-depressants for children with depression or other developmental disorders.

While these medications certainly do have their place, it is my experience that they are significantly over prescribed, without first investigating more natural and equally effective alternatives.

It is alarming to see how many children are on a cocktail of prescription scheduled anti-depressants and psycho-stimulants. Often the drugs cause more complications than the original problem itself.

The use of strong scheduled drugs for children also often replaces proper assessment and the use of a complete and thorough treatment program for the child and the family” – Michele Carelse, Clinical Psychologist.

Diagnosis of childhood depression

Childhood Depression is not always as easily diagnosed as adult depression and can be masked. Children who are depressed do not always look sad and ‘down’ all the time, but may have other persistent symptoms that indicate that there is a problem.

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There is a vast difference between depression in children and in adults. Most of the times, parents do not notice depression in children and it remains untreated. Diagnosing depression in children is also more complicated than diagnosing depression in adults. The physician needs to interview the parents to understand whether the condition can be classified as clinical depression or not. As parents are likely to be biased due to their own motives, diagnosis may require interviewing friends, school mates and teachers also at times.

Stressed parents, faulty upbringing and genetic predisposition are the most commonly known causes of depression in children. Once it is diagnosed, there are various treatment options that can be looked into.

Cognitive Therapy is by far the most commonly used therapy for treating depression in children. Cognition is described as the psychological result of learning and reasoning. Depression in children is considered a result of negative self perceptions that manifests as cognitive distortions about self and the environment. The therapist uses his expertise to address the three domains of treatment.

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