Depression in children

Facts about mental disorders in U.S. children

• ADHD, behavior problems, anxiety, and depression are the most commonly
diagnosed mental disorders in children
o 9.4% of children aged 2-17 years (approximately 6.1 million) have received
an ADHD diagnosis.2 Read more information on ADHD here.
o 7.4% of children aged 3-17 years (approximately 4.5 million) have a
diagnosed behavior problem.3
o 7.1% of children aged 3-17 years (approximately 4.4 million) have diagnosed
anxiety.3
o 3.2% of children aged 3-17 years (approximately 1.9 million) have diagnosed
depression. 3

• Some of these conditions commonly occur together. For example:

o Having another disorder is most common in children with depression: about
3 in 4 children aged 3-17 years with depression also have anxiety (73.8%)
and almost 1 in 2 have behavior problems (47.2%).3
o For children aged 3-17 years with anxiety, more than 1 in 3 also have
behavior problems (37.9%) and about 1 in 3 also have depression (32.3%).3
o For children aged 3-17 years with behavior problems, more than 1 in 3 also
have anxiety (36.6%) and about 1 in 5 also have depression (20.3%). 3

• Depression and anxiety have increased over time

o “Ever having been diagnosed with either anxiety or depression” among
children aged 6–17 years increased from 5.4% in 2003 to 8% in 2007 and to
8.4% in 2011–2012.4
o “Ever having been diagnosed with anxiety” increased from 5.5% in 2007 to
6.4% in 2011–2012.4
o “Ever having been diagnosed with depression” did not change between 2007
(4.7%) and 2011-2012 (4.9%).4

• Treatment rates vary among different mental disorders

o Nearly 8 in 10 children (78.1%) aged 3-17 years with depression received
treatment.3
o 6 in 10 children (59.3%) aged 3-17 years with anxiety received treatment.3
o More than 5 in 10 children (53.5%) aged 3-17 years with behavior disorders
received treatment.3

• Mental, behavioral, and developmental disorders begin in early childhood

o 1 in 6 U.S. children aged 2–8 years (17.4%) had a diagnosed mental,
behavioral, or developmental disorder.5

• Rates of mental disorders change with age

o Diagnoses of depression and anxiety are more common with increased age. 3
o Behavior problems are more common among children aged 6–11 years than
children younger or older.3

Source: https://www.cdc.gov/childrensmentalhealth/data.html

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Now visit this site

The site says:

From the site:

“The most recent evidence for the sharp generational rise in young people's
depression, anxiety, and other mental disorders comes from a just-released study
headed by Jean Twenge at San Diego State University.[1] Twenge and her
colleagues took advantage of the fact that the Minnesota
Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), a questionnaire used to assess a variety of
mental disorders, has been given to large samples of college students throughout
the United States going as far back as 1938, and the MMPI-A (the version used with
younger adolescents) has been given to samples of high school students going as far
back as 1951. The results are consistent with other studies, using a variety of
indices, which also point to dramatic increases in anxiety and depression—in children
as well as adolescents and young adults—over the last five or more decades.

We would like to think of history as progress, but if progress is measured in the

mental health and happiness of young people, then we have been going backward at
least since the early 1950s.

The question I want to address here is why.”

Questions:

1. What are your own views as to why depression in children is rising?

2. What are the views stated on the site - and do you agree?

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Now have a look at this article

Social pressures and expectations are fuelling the rise of mental health problems in
children. Childhood seems to be more stressful than ever due to a greater emphasis
on exams and grades, the rise of social media and cyber bullying, and the media’s
portrayal of body image. I have seen an increase in young clients, especially girls,
with emotional problems often caused by increased pressure in the media and
advertising to achieve an unrealistic body image, further perpetuated by social
media. Girls as young as six are dieting and the number of schoolchildren at risk of
emotional problems has risen sharply according to the Journal of Adolescent Health.

The number of children playing outdoors with friends after school has rapidly
declined over the last decade as they spend more time on computers and social
media. Young people are bombarded with images and advice from celebrities on how
to achieve the “perfect body”. These pressures often cause young people to develop
low self-esteem which can lead to depression. According to Young Minds, one in 10
children and young people aged 5 - 16 suffer from a diagnosable mental health
disorder –around three children in every class.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/healthcare-network/2015/sep/01/childhood-
depression-rise-wary-misdiagnosis

Now have a read of this article…

Then:

Art therapy can be used to assist children with a number of issues including:

▪ Death of a family member or friend

▪ Childhood trauma involving physical, mental, or sexual abuse
▪ Learning disabilities
▪ Emotional issues like fear of abandonment or phobias
▪ Improve cognitive abilities
▪ Deal with the challenges of serious diseases like cancer
▪ Treating mental disorders such as schizophrenia or depression
▪ Help children understand and deal with physical disabilities
▪ Understand and treat behavioral problems

Source: http://www.arttherapyjournal.org/art-therapy-for-children.html

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Now read this study the study concludes:

“Clinical art therapy can be effective for adolescents who usually see it as a
nonthreatening form of treatment. The art that the adolescent produces can help the
therapist gain some idea of the youth's concerns and life circumstances, especially
those situations that are too risky to reveal or too personally embarrassing to relate.
This awareness better equips the therapist in efforts to protect and support the
adolescent during this turbulent time of life.”

Now, with reference to this article, your own thoughts and the contents of this
lecture and all the information above, how can art therapy reduce
depression in children and what does that suggest for government policy?

AS ALWAYS, PUT YOUR ANSWERS

AND COMMENTS IN THE Q/A
SECTION FOR THIS LECTURE