A new study finds that children who are depressed are more likely to become the target of bullies than their happier peers are. There are a number of reasons that explain why this happens. The affects of being depression last for much longer than the actual incident of being bullied does. Depression is a mental illness that can affect people of any age. This includes adolescents and children, as well as adults. Some parents may not be aware that it is even possible for their child to be experiencing a serious depression, (especially if their kid is still in elementary … Continue reading →

There are plenty of things for children to be excited about during the holidays. After all, what’s not to like about days off of school, and presents from Santa? For some children, though, the holidays bring out symptoms of depression. This is something that parents need to be aware of. You probably are aware that Christmas, and the holiday season that surrounds it, can make many people depressed. For adults, this can stem from worries about finances, and from the stress that is involved in organizing family get-togethers. Adults may also be grieving the loss of loved ones who have … Continue reading →

In the mid 1990’s, doctors began noticing that some children who had strep ended up showing symptoms of sudden onset mental illness after recovering from the strep infection. This has led some doctors to wonder if antibiotics could help alleviate those disorders. It is an interesting concept. The strange situation happens something like this. A child, who has no signs or symptoms of any form of mental illness, catches a strep infection. He or she gets a case of strep throat, goes to the doctor, and is treated. The child misses a few days of school, but makes a full … Continue reading →

A study shows that children who live with a father who is depressed end up having higher rates of behavioral and emotional problems. This is the first study that has focused on depressed fathers. The results reveal the impact that fathers have in their children’s lives. A new study, which was led by Dr. Michael Weitzman at NYU’s Langone Medical Center, is the first one that documents the effects that a father’s depression has on his children. The researchers looked at a nationally representative sample that included almost 22,000 children. It was done over four years. The results showed that … Continue reading →

A disability can be physical, cognitive, social, or emotional in nature. In some cases, differences in learning styles can be considered as a disability. The World Health Organization says that mental health problems make up almost half of all disabilities in children and young adults. This may seem surprising, since mental illnesses are frequently kept as a secret. The World Health Organization (WHO) did some research that involved data that came from 191 different countries around the world. Researchers then estimated the number of years of having good health that were lost because of disease or injury. The term for … Continue reading →

My husband and I were faced with the horrific task of telling my stepdaughters that their mother, baby sister, and brother-to-be had all been killed in a terrible car accident. As we sat them down that morning, the look of concern on their faces was obvious. They knew something was terribly wrong, just by their father’s demeanor. He was a tough-guy police officer who rarely cried. Yet now he was racked with visible grief. It was hard for him to find the right words. How does a father gently break his daughters’ hearts? With his arms around them, he shared … Continue reading →

Children who have been diagnosed with a major depressive episode or a dysthymic disorder (a milder depression which lasts for a year or more) have special needs. These needs should be accommodated in the classroom in order for these children to be able to thrive and maintain their sense of self-esteem. School may be very difficult for these kids, and parents may find that some educators are insensitive to the issue and hesitant to make any classroom adaptations to assist the child. You are your child’s greatest advocate, and you have the right to insist that your child has a … Continue reading →