One In Four Parents Say Their Child Knows A Peer Or Classmate With Depression

Depression in school going kids is becoming a more common phenomenon in our society than any time in the past. While the reason for this malady has many dimensions to it, this issue is becoming a highly concerning threat we confront today.

One of the biggest challenges faced by over 40% of the parents today in parenting their kids is this. It is rather a tough job to distinguish between the normal ups and downs and the bigger symptoms of depression in kids that will need expert intervention, observes a new study.

According to the study, above 40% of the parents are finding it difficult to distinguish between the normal occurrences of mood swings and threatening signs of depression in their children. A recent nationwide poll in the US has found that more than 30 percent of parents are misled as their kids hide their feelings.

A poll conducted by the C.S. Mott Children's Hospital at the University of Michigan on Children’s Health goes by the responses gathered from 819 parents having at least one of their children studying in middle or high school.

Sarah Clark, the coordinator of the poll observed, "In many families, the preteen and teen years bring dramatic changes both in youth behavior and in the dynamic between parents and children."

Clark further added, "These transitions can make it particularly challenging to get a read on children's emotional state and whether there is possible depression."

A number of researches opine that some parents seem to be overconfident about their ability to find out depression in the moods and behaviors of their own children. Such overconfident parents might miserably fail to learn from the elusive signals that suggest something is going wrong.

The poll has also brought to surface that depression in middle and high school kids is becoming a very common phenomenon.

One is four parents say their child is aware of a classmate or peer with depression. In fact, one in 10 parents says their child knows a classmate or peer who has committed suicide as a result of depression.

Recent statistics show that such level of familiarity with depression and its associated results like suicide is found consistent with the latest statistics revealing an alarming increase in suicidal rates among the US kids over the past ten years.

Increasing suicidal rates in our society stresses the crucial importance of recognizing depression in children and youth.

When compared with the ratings of their personal ability, the parents who were polled did not seem to be confident that their children in preteens were capable of recognizing their own signs of depression.

Clark noted, "Parents should stay vigilant on spotting any signs of potential depression in kids, which may vary from sadness and isolation to anger, irritability and acting out."

Majority of parents are of the opinion that schools must play an active role in identifying the potential cases of depression. About 7 in 10 parents in fact feel that screening for depression must start in middle school.