Signs and symptoms of depression in children: How Globe Hopeline 2919 can help

Before I was not aware about depression and the problems that came with it. I even used the word loosely whenever I’m sad or to describe someone who is in a bad mood or sad. But after I gave birth and experienced slight post-partum depression wherein I cried for no reason at all, basta bigla na lang akong nalungkot at natakot, I realized that depression is not a joke.

Depression continues to be a leading cause of ill health and disability in many countries around the world. Many people think that depression is not an illness; it is widely dismissed as just a negative feeling that one eventually snaps out of. However, it is one of the leading causes of suicide.

As parents, we should look out for signs of depression in children. Our children may not know it that they are experiencing one na pala, minsan akala natin bad mood lang sila after a long day at school, pero iba na pala.

Based on data from the Department of Health (DOH) and the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 300 million people are currently undergoing depression, up by more than 18% from 2005 to 2015. In the Philippines, an estimated 3.3 million Filipinos are suffering from depression. Only 1 out of 3 who suffer from depression will seek the help of a specialist and one third will not even be aware of their condition. According to WebMD, about 2.5% of children in the U.S. suffer from depression. Depression is significantly more common in boys under age 10. But by age 16, girls have a greater incidence of depression.

Causes of depression in children

There are different factors that cause depression in children. Family history is the number one factor. If parents have suffered from depression before, they have a greater risk of experiencing depression too. Other factors can be related to physical health, life events, environment, and biochemical disturbance.

Signs and symptoms of depression in children

• sadness
• irritability or anger
• Increase or decrease in appetite or weight
• difficulty sleeping or oversleeping
• Social withdrawal
• Clinginess
• Suicidal thoughts

If you think that your child has some of these symptoms, seek help from your doctor.

Globe Telecom continues to support the DOH in promoting mental health awareness in the Philippines. That’s why in 2012, Globe Telecom created Hopeline 2919, a 24/7 toll-free prevention hotline. In its first year alone, 14,000 calls have been received and most of the calls were related to issues on depression, suicidal thoughts, and relationship problems. Thanks to this initiative, we need to remove the stigma about depression, one way to solve it is to acknowledge it and get proper treatment and support.