By Hu Xinran and Han Jing
Nervous parents and unhappy children have filled the halls of the Provincial Children’s Hospital lately as more and more children are being treated for symptoms of depression.
One of the children is a 6-year-old nicknamed Xiao Wei. He is with his father who said that his son is taking antidepressant drugs. Recently Xiao Wei has been complaining of cramps and spasms, his father said. He worries that the drugs are the source of the problem.
“My son will go to school soon, but if he stops taking the drugs he won’t feel like leaving the house,” his father said.
Wang Jiyue, a doctor at the hospital, said that the boy’s depression is caused by hypoevolutism of nerve development and suggests that his parents should not try to comfort him when he cramps, or it may become more frequent.
He added that while the boy is not literally depressed, it is necessary for him to take some antidepressant drugs. Some special training is also needed to help with his nerve development.
Wang said that the youngest patient he has ever seen for depression was only 6 years old, and the girl’s mother also got a depression.
“The disease is hereditary,” he added. “Most children before the age of 6 will not be diagnosed with depression. The environment, the family disease and the children’s own growth disorders may contribute to their depression.”
Symptoms of depression in children include bad mood for several weeks or months, isolation, sensitivity and irritability. Xu Fangzhong, a psychologist from Provincial Tongde Hospital, has conducted studies on pre-school children’s behavior.
His studies shows that children get depression mostly because of separation and anxiety. These children may not get help because of underdeveloped language abilities and they are short of social experiences.
Negligence makes things worse. Regardless of whether children are mentally healthy or not, Wang said parents should let their children remain happy, help them to grow naturally and tailor different education methods for each child.
