Childhood Depression (6-11 years) (12-18 years) Christina Boswell Psychology 220 October 21, 2011 Kaplan University This essay will be explaining the differences in depression in adolescents and children of the ages of 6 years to 11 years old. Depression hits everyone very similar. Signs of depression also are similar except for a child sometimes. There symptoms may be a little different. Depression can be genetically obtained.
Meaning sometimes when parents have depression their children can also grow up with this disorder.Depression is a very hard thing to be dealing with these days. Children deal with it worse than what adults do. Some of the causes that are listed for depression in children and adults are as follows: abuse, certain medications that are given, conflict, death or a loss, and sometimes just other personal problems (webmd. com). This is for everyone even children.
Now, when loosing someone that you are dearly close to say a father or a sister causes depression in younger children as they say (AAFP, 2000).There is one thing and that is if you are a parent you should not show your child any symptoms of depression. You may ask why that is and that is because a child can follow a parent even with depression as well as learning on how to do things. Now, with teen depression it can be covered up by their hormones acting up and so you cannot really tell what is going on with them unless you look for symptoms. In children of the ages 6-11 years old there are a few different symptoms you need to look for. These symptoms are really sayings so you really need to listen to your children.
Some of the sayings can be like my parents will not even miss me, I should not be here these are just 2 of many things you need to listen for in your young children. Now, behavior things that need to be looked for would be Drawings of death, and cutting themselves or running into traffic things like this you need to look for in behavior (www. save. org). Children who have depression may also have different types of disorders to go with it like for example attention deficit disorder or even bipolar.
According to Bronfenbrenner he has a system that he calls micro systems.These systems are as the following Micro would be for family and classroom, mesosystem which is to Microsystems in interaction, the exosystem is environments which indirectly influences development for example parental work place. The last system is called marcro system which deals with the larger socio cultural context (sevencounties. org).
This micro system is how he does research on child development (seven counties. org). Brofenbrenner says that a child’s development deals with all of these little things. So even in the case of disorders he looks at it this way as well.
Now, to begin I will be speaking the differences in depression in the age groups of 6-11 years old and adolescents using his theory process. When a child is little and has depression during school this can affect his grades, his concentration and also the way he acts behavior wise in school at the same time. Now, with families the child may try and be by himself walking away during a movie with family these just shows that something is wrong. With the community if a child shows no interest in a social life this goes for adolescents also this is a sign of depression as well.
When they also talk about suicide of any type either about them or someone else then that is also another reason to look for depression. Depression is no game it is a serious disorder no matter who you are. Even though Bronfenbenner thinks that we all live and act with his micro system does not mean we are the same in that way. When little ones get the depression it can be because they see mom or dad acting in certain ways so they think that it is okay to act this way as well. Depression can be to me a disease that is catching even though theorist does not think this way.School age children can also become depressed and one cause of this is a stressor that can be formed.
Some of these stressors can be to do with school not being able to do well in school. With this a school age child will show symptoms like excessive guilt, stomach ache, show low self esteem, anxiety can also be a cause of depression in a child in school as well as a teenager as well. Now, with adolescents depression can occur because of the fact they try and separate from their parents to be able to find there identies and who they are.Teen depression is more common than school age children (AAFP, 2000). Now, with school age and adolescents there are some in common symptoms that can show with depression. One can be excessive guilt they both can have these symptoms.
So in Bronfenbrenner may say that everything works on a small system I would say he right because it all does depend on the interaction of family, peers and the community you live in day to day. Another symptom is anger and poor self esteem on both school aged children as well as adolescents. Depression can hit just about anyone.Now, school aged children I find if they do not get attention enough from their parents then some children do become depressed because they feel they are not loved or wanted around. Another theorist I would like to mention is Jean Piaget and on how he thinks children develop and what his thought were on children and adolescents with depression. Piaget theory of child development was they develop with the world they are surrounded by (bhcmr.
org). Piaget’s theory is very similar to Brofenbrenner because they believe that a child’s development depends on what is around them.For example I believe that society period can also cause anything to do with a child’s development even with disorders and all. These two theorists I would have to say have the best thought on how a child is supposed developing. They look at all that surrounds the child and not just one thing.
To conclude this paper there is something you should always remember and that is there is and always will be help out there no matter what your age is even if you just want to talk someone will be there. Parents spend time with young ones do not push them away even though your feelings say to. Depression is contagious is the way I look at it.Think about if a child sees a mother crying and so upset she does not eat or anything in that nature the young child may end up doing the same thing as the mother because it looks as if it is the right thing to do.
Teenager’s, life is great living it to extent you do not always have to be perfect for anyone just for yourself. Teenagers are the more than likely to try and commit suicide because of the school meaning trying to be perfect and you do not have to. Just remember there is help out here use it even if you think it will not help at least you are talking with someone about your problems and not trying to handle them on your own.References Bukatko, D. (2008).
Child and Adolescent Development: A chronological Approach http://www. sevencounties. org/poc/view_doc. php? type=doc&id=8107&cn=329 retrieved on October 31, 2011 http://www. save. org/index.
cfm? fuseaction=home. viewPage&page_ID=7059F90B-018E-8AE4-A6C45D036A17D4F4 Retrieved on October 21, 2011 http://www. bhcmhmr. org/poc/view_doc. php? type=doc&id=7929&cn=28 Retrieved on October 21, 2011 http://www. webmd.
com/depression/guide/causes-depression Retrieved on October 21, 2011
