Who cares?
Other specialists are trained and support parents in dealing with their children’s psychological disorders:
— Analytical psychotherapy : research by the therapist for the meaning of depressive behavior; the child is helped to work out the underlying suffering. The place of parents depends on the method put in place by the psychoanalyst. — Behavioral and cognitive therapies : therapeutic approach to pathological behaviors, which are treated according to their intensity, frequency and modalities of appearance. They influence the learning defects of the child. The emphasis is on the thought-emotion link. — Family therapy : the therapeutic objective is the change in the family’s communication system. It is the family reactions that are treated as a whole. The aim is to improve the functioning of the family and to make it effective in solving problems. The place of parents and family members (brothers or sisters) is essential. |
A medical prescription may be offered by some doctors, only if the child has severe and lasting depression.
It is necessary to have tested the other forms of support before arriving there. And only a true professional, such as a child psychiatrist will be able to prescribe antidepressant treatment for the child.
In the end, depression in children is often a family affair and therefore affects the whole family.
It should be taken seriously and can be a strong indicator of future troubles typical of adolescence. The depressed child sends a message about his state of mind at a specific time and thus asks for help for the future.
The earlier in life we take charge of depressive symptoms, the more likely we are to see a decline in other more worrying forms: risk taking, eating disorders and suicide attempts that are among young adults, constantly increasing each year.
To help you better understand and know how to react during a depressive episode in your child:
An association which explains to children and families how we talk together about health and everyday concerns:
Books to understand children’s depression
“My child is sad, understand and help the depressed child”, Luis Véra
Odile Jacob, December 2001
“How to live with a depressed child”, Pierre Ferrari,
Josette Lyon, How to live with… Collection 2001
Consulting is betting on the future!
The parents cannot understand his mood disorders and are wondering what to do next.
Should we consult? Does he need to take medication to help him?
A child who has had depressive disorder at one point may not necessarily develop depression as an illness.
Anyway, if you suspect a depressive episode in your child, the easiest way is to consult a specialist to set up appropriate assistance. The suffering is often major and adolescence is not far away.
We also know the devastation that untreated or spotted depressions can wreak in the lives of young children during adolescence.
Céline, mother of the two and a half year old boy, quickly consulted a specialist, an osteopath: “… his“ crises ”lasted 2/2 months. The solution I had in December when I went to the osteopath (who has been following him since his birth) who told me that he was still very angry, even if it cannot be seen (I thought he had understood correctly, and that it was over). So she taught me to channel his anger and to manage. She explained to me that he needed to be reassured during his anger and that it would be a long-term job… ”.