There are many factors that can contribute to some children developing depression and anxiety. Some children are more likely to develop anxiety or depression when they experience trauma or stress, bullying or rejection by other children, abuse, uncertainty regarding sexual orientation, family conflict or when their own parents have anxiety or depression.
Some anxious children keep their worries to themselves; so, their symptoms can be missed. By getting help from a health professional, children can cope with and manage their anxiety symptoms more effectively.
Some children may not talk about feeling helpless and hopeless; they may not appear sad. But, it’s important for children to be evaluated and diagnosed with depression when they feel persistent sadness and hopelessness.
Extreme depression can lead a child to think about suicide or plan for suicide. For youth ages 10-24 years, suicide is among the leading causes of death. Read on…
Need Professional Help?
Health insurance may cover treatment costs for depression or anxiety disorder.
Find out if your insurance will cover professional care and treatment for your child’s behavioral issues.
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Confidential help is available in the United States:
- Monday to Friday — 8 am to 8 pm PST
- Saturday and Sunday — 9 am to 5 pm PST
Call toll-free now: +1 (855) 925-3923.
Some children are more likely to develop depression and depression when they experience trauma or stress, bullying or rejection by other children, abuse, uncertainty regarding sexual orientation, family conflict or when their own parents have anxiety or depression. Anxiety disorders can lead to substance abuse and other medical problems. Extreme depression can lead a child to think about suicide or plan for suicide.
Depression and Anxiety Disorders Affect Millions of People
People with anxiety disorder are more likely to suffer from depression and vice versa. Nearly 50% of those diagnosed with an anxiety disorder are also diagnosed with depression.
Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S. Every year, 40 million adults in the United States age 18 and older are affected (18.1% of the population).
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), depression is a common illness worldwide affecting more than 264 million people. Every year, almost one million people worldwide die due to suicide.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health (2017), major depression affects 17.3 million Americans or about 7.1% of the U.S. population over age 18. Women are 70% more likely than men to experience depression in their lifetime.
Millions of children are diagnosed with depression and anxiety disorders:
- Approximately 4.4 million children age 3-17 years have diagnosed anxiety (Centers for Disease Control “Data and Statistics on Children’s Mental Health”, 2018).
- Approximately 1.9 million children age 3-17 years have diagnosed depression (Centers for Disease Control “Data and Statistics on Children’s Mental Health”, 2018).
- Anxiety disorders affect 25.1% of children and adolescents between 13-18 years old, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America.
- Social anxiety disorders typically begin around age 13.
- Symptoms for anxiety related to phobias typically begin in childhood. The average age of onset is 7 years old.
- In the United States, depression is the leading cause of disability for people over 5 years of age.
Depression and Suicide In the United States
- Suicide is the second leading cause of death among individuals age 10-34 years. It is the fourth leading cause of death among individuals age 35-54 years (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, 2018).
- Over 2/3 of the 30,000 reported suicides in the U.S. every year is caused by depression (White House Conference on Mental Health, 1999).
- Up to 2/3 of older adult suicides are attributed to untreated or misdiagnosed depression in the United States (American Society on Aging, 1998).
Need Professional Help?
Health insurance may cover treatment costs for depression or anxiety disorder.
Find out if your insurance will cover professional care and treatment for your child’s behavioral issues.
Get a FREE Consultation. There’s no obligation.
Confidential help is available in the United States:
- Monday to Friday — 8 am to 8 pm PST
- Saturday and Sunday — 9 am to 5 pm PST
Call toll-free now: +1 (855) 925-3923.
The Consequences of Not Treating Anxiety and Depression Can Be Devastating
Many adults have mental disorders that were never recognized and treated in childhood.
- Almost 75% of people with mental disorders in developing countries don’t get any treatment (World Health Organization).
- In the US, 60.1% of depressed adolescents don’t get any treatment (National Alliance on Mental Illness).
An untreated anxiety disorder in children is one of the top predictors of developing depression by they time they hit adolescence, according to Lynn Lyons (psychotherapist, licensed clinical social worker and author of Anxious Kids, Anxious Parents).
People with an anxiety disorder are 6 times more likely to be hospitalized for psychiatric disorders than those who don’t suffer from it.
For children and adolescents with untreated depression and anxiety disorders, they are at higher risk for impaired personal relationships with family and peers, poor performance in school, eating disorders, early pregnancy and substance abuse.
For adults, the consequences of untreated depression and anxiety disorders can be devastating. These can include emotional pain and suffering, relationship break-ups and broken marriages, increased work absenteeism, decreased productivity and other employment problems, health problems and even suicide.
Warning Signs of Depression and Anxiety In Children: How Do You Know When to Get Help?
It’s hard to tell if a child’s behavior problem is just part of growing up or if it’s something that needs to be discussed with a health professional.
Some fears and worries are common in children. However, persistent or extreme forms of fear and sadness could be due to anxiety or depression.
If there are behavioral problems that last weeks or months and if they interfere with activities at home, at school or with friends, you should contact a health professional.
Young children may benefit from an evaluation and treatment if they have these symptoms (National Institute of Mental Health):
- Frequently have tantrums. Frequently get angry or irritated.
- Frequently talk about fears or worries
- Frequently complain about stomachaches or headaches with no known medical cause
- Constantly in motion and can’t sit quietly (exceptwhen they’re playing videogames or watching videos)
- Frequently have nightmares
- Sleeping too much or too little
- Loss of interest in playing with other children
- Withdrawn or having difficulty making friends
- Struggling academically or experiencing a decline in grades
- Frequently repeating actions
- Frequently checking things repeatedly due to fear that something bad may happen.
Older children and adolescents may benefit from an evaluation and treatment if they have these symptoms (National Institute of Mental Health):
- Loss of interest or pleasure in most activities
- Fatigue or lack of energy
- Sleeping too much or too little
- Withdrawn or isolated. Spending more and more time alone and avoiding activities with friends or family
- Excessive fear of gaining weight. Dieting or exercising excessively.
- Engaging in self-harm behaviors, such as, cutting or burning their skin
- Smoking, drinking alcohol or using drugs
- Engaging in risky or destructive behavior alone or with friends
- Having thoughts of suicide or death
- Having periods of highly elevated energy and activity.
- Seeing things that others can’t see
- Hearing things that other people can’t hear
- Thinking that someone is trying to control their mind
Getting Help For Depression and Anxiety Disorders
If the behavioral symptoms last weeks or longer, you should talk to a health professional.
If your child is dealing with anxiety or depression symptoms which are severe enough to interfere with daily activities, it’s important to speak to your doctor about getting an evaluation and treatment.
Anxiety and depression do not go away on their own…
If not treated, they may become more severe. The longer the delay in treatment, the harder they may be to control.
Depression and anxiety can affect how a child feels, thinks and behaves. They can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems. They can lead to problems doing normal day-to-day activities.
Untreated mental disorders can worsen. They can contribute to substance abuse and other medical problems.
Depression may make a child feel as if life isn’t worth living.
A child who is suicidal or severely depressed may need to be treated in a psychiatric hospital.
Many anxious or depressed children do not get proper treatment. This can cause unnecessary suffering that can last a long time.
Did you know?
Anxiety disorders are highly treatable. The vast majority of people with anxiety can be helped by professional care and treatment.
The success rate is high for treating depression.
Up to 80% of people treated for depression show improvement in their symptoms usually within 4-6 weeks of starting medication, getting psychotherapy, attending support groups or a combination of these treatments.
Even people with severe anxiety or depression can be helped with professional care and treatment.
Need Professional Help?
Health insurance may cover treatment costs for depression or anxiety disorder.
Find out if your insurance will cover professional care and treatment for your child’s behavioral issues.
Get a FREE Consultation. There’s no obligation.
Confidential help is available in the United States:
- Monday to Friday — 8 am to 8 pm PST
- Saturday and Sunday — 9 am to 5 pm PST
Call toll-free now: +1 (855) 925-3923.