Parents may worry whether their children are showing sings of depression, particularly if one or both suffer from a mood disorder.  Childhood depression is relatively rare and limited to about 1 to 2.5 percent of children.  By age twelve, the incidence increases to between 2 and 8 percent with more girls affected than boys.  The incidence of bipolar among teens and children is unknown.  The best defense for parents is to educate themselves about when to seek necessary help.

Dr. Gabrielle Carlson, Director of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry SUNY Stony Brook, shared her acronym for when to worry about whether a child needs an evaluation for depression.  She suggests remembering the word DUMPS, as in down in the dumps.  The D is for a definite change in personality.  A previously nice child becomes mean, a happy child turns sad or a social child turns antisocial. The U is for an undeniable drop in grades or a loss of interest in school.  The M is for morbid thoughts or suicidal ideation.  P is for pessimism.  A child may start to see everything through grey-colored glassed.  The S is for somatic complaints.  If a child has an unusual number of physical complaints, such as headaches or stomachaches, or spends too much time with the school nurse, a parent should be alerted.  Dr. Carlson indicated that these phenomena do not mean positively that a child or teenager is depressed, but they are causes for getting further information and an evaluation.

I f  diagnosed, the treatments for children and adolescents suffering from depression or manic depression are  similar to those for adults - medication, therapy, and education.  It helps to discuss the illness and treatment issues with one's child.  Helping children understand the importance of therapy or any medication they may be on is part of monitoring them.  Children generally do not like to take medication; they need help. Parents may need to help the child deal with the illness itself.  During episodes of mania, a child may say or do things which are extreme.  Once back under control, the child may have difficulty dealing with hir actions while sick.  A child may be embarrassed or feel guilty.  An understanding parent can help a child negotiate regrettable behavior.

Being a parent requires one to always put their child first.  However, caring for a sick child is stressful.  Parents should consider joining a support group for friends and family.   A support group can make it easier to get through difficult times.