Mental health:Depression in children and adolescents?

Gbenga Oguntayo 12:48 - 25 June 2018

Depression is a serious mood disorder that affects the way we think, feel relate or even handle our daily activities.

One would think that children or adolescents are not liable to be depressed. However, there is a type of depression that is common in children and adolescents between the ages of 8-18 years. This type of depression is called Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder.

Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder (DMDD) is a type of depression that is diagnosed with children or adolescents who have persistent irritable moods and frequent episodes of serious behavioral dyscontrol.

Symptoms of disruptive mood dysregulation disorder

irritable
Outbursts
destructive

When all these symptoms or a part of it are present in a child or adolescent for at least 12 months, this particular disorder is said to be present and the child needs to be taken proper care of.

Causes

psychological trauma
sexually abused
failure
dysfunctional family
Poor diet

Dangers of children with disruptive mood dysregulation disorder

Children and adolescents with this type of depression are prone to having suicidal thoughts. If a child starts feeling he is a failure and he has no future or he/she doesn’t feel loved by their parents or guardian, they may want to end their lives.

They may also tend to take out their physical outburst on others by constituting a nuisance to the community and engage in crimes like robbery, killing, e.t.c.

He/she may finally resort to taking harmful substances like heroin, tramadol, Indian hemp, codeine, etc. such child may want to take succor in such harmful substances.

Read Also: Suicide!The only way out?

Treatment

medications
instead of punishment.

An awareness campaign should be done in order for the general public at large to know more about DMDD because, in this part of the world, people believe that if a child or adolescent act in a complete behavioral dysregulation, such a child is bewitched, possessed or spiritually attacked.

No! Such a child may be suffering from DMDD so it's quite important for us to look closely and study the children's behavioral pattern.

Written by Funmi Akintade.

I am funmi akintade, a freelance writer and a blogger. You can reach me at , instagram at fumeeakins, facebook at funmiakintade.