- [Amanda] Hello, Psych2Goers.
Welcome back to another video.
Do you ever feel sad?
Of course, we all feel sad sometimes
and these feelings can come and go.
As children, there tends to be a lot of firsts,
a friend moving, a low grade, a heartbreak,
which can intensify the feelings with each new experience.
But if a teenager, young person, or child
feels persistently sad and moody
affecting the way they do everyday tasks,
they may fall into a depressive spiral
that goes beyond a short-term situational depression.
With that said, here are seven signs
a young child or teen could be depressed.
Number one, over reliance on a smartphone.
Do you take out your phone as a source of safety
when you're anxious or during awkward situations?
Phones are important
in our daily interactions with the world.
However, heavy smartphone usage
is also linked to depression.
While busying yourself with your phone
can provide instant gratification at first,
it also pulls you away from forming meaningful connections,
and can worsen your mood in the long run.
If you spend more time scrolling through your social media
than with actual friends and family,
it may be time to reassess your smartphone usage.
Number two, withdrawal from friends and family.
Do you distance yourself from friends
and family and not open up?
Social withdrawal is a common sign of depression.
According to University of Kansas professor Stephen Ilardi,
people who are clinically depressed
feel a strong urge to pull back from friends and family,
which can end up worsening their depression.
Counteracting the urge to withdraw isn't easy
but it's the first step to overcoming feelings of isolation.
Reach out and reconnect with your friends and family.
You can do this by scheduling fun hangouts
with them and allowing yourself to be open with them again.
It may be hard at first,
but it'll help you to let people in your life again.
Number three, difficulty concentrating.
Do you sometimes feel
like you're not paying attention to others?
According to behavioral therapist Natasha Santos,
the processing speed to take in information efficiently
is impaired when we're depressed.
When parts of the brain
involving memory retrieval face irregularities,
depressive symptoms like concentration difficulty can occur.
This can lead to trouble in school and home,
especially when no one believes or supports the child,
worsening the depressive state.
Number four, low energy.
Do you complain about how tired you are all the time?
According to research published by Helia Ghanean and others,
fatigue is a very common occurrence
for people who suffer from major depressive disorder,
affecting about 90% of those who've been diagnosed.
Low energy can make it hard for kids to do everyday tasks,
like getting outta bed, washing their face,
or brushing their teeth can also worsen
when the symptoms of depression
like failing to eat a proper diet,
which can be a tough cycle to break if not properly managed.
Number five, feelings of guilt.
Do you often talk about how you feel
like you don't deserve nice things?
Feelings of guilt can cause a great toll on people,
especially young children.
This can stem from a troubled
family environment growing up, social pressure,
culture, among a host of other factors.
But it doesn't have to be that way,
and there are many ways to overcome these feelings.
Reframing the situation with a therapist
or someone you trust can help you move past the guilt.
Forgiving yourself and taking responsibility
also go a long way.
Number six, loss of interest in fun activities.
Have you stopped participating
in things you once considered to be fun?
If so, you may be experiencing something called anhedonia,
or a loss of interest in once pleasurable activities.
If a child rapidly develops signs
of disinterest towards life or their hobbies,
it could be one of the key symptoms of depression.
They could also feel other symptomatic signs
show up alongside this disinterest, like anxiety,
stress and overall feelings of being stuck in life.
Combating this will require taking small steps,
everyday tasks that make you a little bit better each time.
And number seven, changes in eating habits.
You exhibit poor eating habits, whether you are eating
and sleeping too much or too little.
Falling into the extremes
can be a sign of depression for kids.
In particular, overeating can be a way
for some kids to cope with difficult feelings,
says clinical psychologist Susan Alberts
of Cleveland Clinic.
The reason why you may look for sugary food and carbs
is that they help increase the serotonin levels
in your brain, which boosts our mood, temporarily.
Eating too little, on the other hand,
can be caused by diminished motivation.
You may be feeling too anxious, worried,
or hopeless about things going on around you
that eating doesn't cross your mind.
So do you or anyone you know show these symptoms?
Let us know in the comments below.
The references and studies used in this video
are added in the description below.
Also remember to subscribe, like, and share this video
with those who might benefit from it.
Thank you for watching.
Until next time.