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... if you do decide to treat the child with antidepressants, which is by far the easiest mode of treatment, the child could still be at risk for self-harm due to the risk associated with antidepressant drugs and children. As a parent, this scenario is like tossing a one-sided coin, in that with or without treatment your child may be at risk of suicidal tendencies. Another concern is the dosage of antidepressants being given to children and adolescents. Currently, the lowest dosage for an antidepressant is 20 mg per capsule (Feng 2002). This amount is sufficient enough for an adult with mild depression, but this dosage is also being administered to children.
Is this dosage really appropriate for the age and / or weight of a child? This dosage may be sufficient for a child suffering from severe manic depression, but a child with minor depression may require a lower dosage. The only way to make the dosage lower is to space out the days on which you take the medication. The problem with this method is that it could be easy to forget to take your medication every other day, which is extremely hazardous since this could lead to regression of the illness. The last question I have is for both parents and physicians.
Are antidepressants becoming a new worldwide trend? It is understandable to seek help for a child who is suffering from many of the symptoms of depression, but there are literally millions of prescriptions being filled for children who are "depressed. " Is it possible that these drugs are being given out in replacement of good, old-fashioned parenting? The life of a parent can be very fast-paced and it is hard to not think that these drugs are being administered in replacement of support and concern from a parent, which can also be time consuming. It is much easier to give a child a pill to calm them down, or in this case cheer them up or stop them from complaining or nagging, so that parents do not have to spend any extra time or energy away from work.
It is essential to remember that growing up is a tough process. A normal child in perfect health is encountered with problems, bullies, physical changes in his / her body, and many more things. This process is even more of a struggle for a child suffering from depression. To help your child deal with possible depression, you must first be able to spot some of the warning signs. There are three ways to screen your child for depression: the Children's Depressive Inventory (CDI), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression (CES-D) scale.
If your child screens positive on any of these tests, then a comprehensive diagnostic evaluation should be completed by a mental health professional (web) There are other alternatives to fighting depression besides the use of antidepressant drugs. One alternative is short-term psychotherapy, especially cognitive behavioral therapy (Birmaher et al. 1998). This type of therapy is based on the presumption that people suffering from depression have distorted views of themselves and the world. The goal is to change these views and thought processes of individuals with depression (Mason et al. 1999). Another option includes attending counseling in conjunction with antidepressant medication. A study conducted by NIMH compared the efficacy of antidepressant treatment alone versus combination of drug and therapy treatments.
Of the 519 participants in the study, the rates of response were 55 percent in the nefazodone group and 52 percent in the psychotherapy group, compared with 85 percent in the combined-treatment group (Keller et al. 2000). Based on these results, it is apparent that this option might be the best scenario for children suffering from depression. Regardless of the treatment option chosen, it is still very important for parents to communicate with their children. It is also important to communicate with physicians, therapists, teachers, and anyone who can give you insight about the behavior of your child. In order to beat depression, all individuals must be working together to monitor the condition of the child. Depression is not uncommon; however, communication about depression is uncommon.
Conclusion In conclusion, the studies performed on antidepressants have shown that there is a slight link to increased depressive behavior and / or suicidal tendencies. However, the research also concluded that both physicians and parents could drastically reduce these numbers with proper assessment of depression. It was found that the best treatment for depression was actually a combination of both counseling and antidepressant medication. It must be remembered that adolescence is a stressful experience for all teens, especially those suffering from depression.
Thus, early diagnosis and treatment, accurate evaluation of suicidal thought, and monitoring access to lethal agents -- such as firearms and medications-may hold the greatest suicide prevention for depressed teens. Literature Cited Birmaher B, Ryan ND, Williamson DE, et al. 1996. Childhood and Adolescent Depression. Journal of American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. 35: 1575 - 1583. Brown J, Cohen P, Johnson J.
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Research essay sample on Children And Adolescents Child And Adolescent Psychiatry
