| Childhood depression is a very real but
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| | should not ne taken as set in stone. For
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| sometimes elusive illness that affects
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| | example, a 12 year old boy may show signs
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| the young today. We take a look at what
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| | of depression by aggressive behaviour and
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| it actually means and how unity and
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| | phusical complaints."For Dr Chan,
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| support in the family can help fight its
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| | "Depression before the age of six is very
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| hold over a child.At the recently
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| | rare. In fact, I do not think that there
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| concluded Asia Pacific Suicide Prevention
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| | is general agreement that it exists. In a
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| Convention 2006, we learnt a few
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| | young child, the common emotional
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| startling facts about children and
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| | condition is anxiety, not so much
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| suicide. For example, in a worldwide
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| | depression. From six years onwards, I
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| survey, 7.3% to 38% of the children
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| | would agree with the given
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| surveyed demonstrated suicide ideation,
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| | description."Children under stress, who
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| which is the idea of wanting to kill
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| | experience loss , or who have attention ,
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| themselves. In Singapore, close to 4.7%
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| | learning , conduct or anxiety disorders
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| of children entertain this morbid
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| | are at a higher risk for depression.
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| thought. While the figure may be
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| | Depression also tends to run in
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| alarming, there is no need to panic as it
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| | families.Lena's experienceLena (not her
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| is actually not uncommon to think about
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| | real name) is a 17 year-old student who
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| suicide.Ask anyone in the street if he
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| | recently suffered a relapse and fell into
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| had thought about suicide before and the
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| | depression once more. Lena has been
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| answer will most probably be a `yes'.
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| | troubled by depression since the age of
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| Thinking about something as serious as
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| | 12. Once again, she has no appetite for
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| killing oneself and actually doing it are
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| | food, is feeling listless and confused,
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| two different matters. Out of all
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| | lost alot of weight and is isolating
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| childhood suicides, approximately 23.5%
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| | herself from others.Lena's mother, 49
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| are associated with mental illness such
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| | year old clerical staff Sonia (not her
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| as depression, schizophrenia and others.
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| | real name), recounts her daughter's
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| Seeing the numbers and understanding that
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| | experience with depression, " It all
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| depression is one of the key causes that
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| | started after Lena's father passed away.
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| drive our young to suicide. It is time we
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| | At first , nothing seemed wrong. SHe was
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| understand a little more about this
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| | very sad but she did not shed a tear at
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| elusive illness called "Childhood
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| | his funeral. It was a year after that she
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| Depression".The Definition of Childhood
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| | started to miss him badly. This was
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| DepressionIn a 2004 article published by
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| | compounded by being bullied in school and
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| the American Academy of Child and
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| | stressed by schoolwork. Always a quiet
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| Adolescent Psychiatry , childhood
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| | child, Lena became even more withdrawn.
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| depression is defined as "an illness when
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| | She had trouble sleeping, would cry for
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| the feelings of depression persist and
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| | no reason, refused to eat and talked
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| interfere with a child or adolescent's
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| | about hurting herself."Seeing her
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| ability to function."Feelings of
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| | daughter's condition, Sonia brought Lena
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| depression are represented in the forms
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| | to a Polyclinic which referred them to a
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| of mood, physical, mental and behavioural
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| | psychiatrist at a hospital. Lena was
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| changes in a child. Dr Ken Ung, Senior
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| | given antidepressants and started having
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| Consultant Child, Adolescent & Adult
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| | regular therapy sessions with
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| Psychiatrist & Psychotherapist at Adam
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| | psychiatrists and counsellors. She tried
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| Road Hospital describes the signs of
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| | to follow their advice of not thinking
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| childhood depression as persistent
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| | negatively, to focus on developing her
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| "irritability or loss of interest, loss
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| | interests and to make a timetable for
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| of appetite and weight, poor sleep ,
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| | each day. Everyday was a struggle but she
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| lethargy, headache, stomach pain, loss of
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| | managed to recover with time."She said
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| concentration, preoccupation with
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| | she liked the counselling sessions where
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| self-harm or suicide, refusal to go to
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| | she could talk to someone about her
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| school, increased temper tantrums and
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| | feelings and problems." say Sonia of
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| antisocial behaviours such as smoking,
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| | Lena's reaction to treatment. "Slowly,
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| drinking and running away from home. Any
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| | she got better to the point that she was
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| combination of these changes that lasts
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| | more cheerful and could laugh and giggle
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| for more than two weeks could spell a
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| | like a normal young girl. She even
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| child falling into depression and
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| | enrolled in yoga classes that helped her
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| warrants a closer look.Many of the
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| | gained fitness and to relax."For Sonia,
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| symtoms listed are actually applicable to
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| | being supportive of Lena through the down
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| both adults and children but there are
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| | times and being sensitive to her needs
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| telling differences. Age, in a
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| | are her priorities. "I told her that her
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| non-categorical way, does make a
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| | health is more important than studies.
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| difference in the presentation of
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| | When I'm at work, I try to call her and
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| depressive behaviour. "We don't tend to
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| | talk to her whenever I can. She will tell
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| categorize (childhood depression) in
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| | me things like, " Mummy, I'm useless and
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| terms of age groups," says Dr Ung, " but
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| | I don't know what to do," and I will try
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| we can generally say that adolescent
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| | to encourage her to look on the bright
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| depression tends to look more like adult
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| | side, not to think too much..etc.. I have
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| type depression , whereas, childhood
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| | to try to give her lots of love, my full
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| depression can be more `a typical'
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| | support and attention."TreatmentWhat most
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| perhaps manifesting in bodily pains and
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| | doctors agree on is that medication
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| behaviour changes. The closer the age of
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| | should not be used unnecessarily on
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| a child to adulthood - the more we can
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| | children and that when used, it should be
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| expect to see an adult-type
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| | accompanied with the right counselling
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| depression.Types of childhood
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| | and therapy. " It's interesting that
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| depressionThere is no clear
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| | recent studies have not been able to
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| categorization of childhood depression.
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| | prove that antidepressants work in
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| According to Dr Ung, "Typing depression
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| | children. This could be because children
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| is notoriously difficult and fashions
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| | are not mini adults and what works for
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| come and go. We now tend to type it
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| | adults may not work for kids," says Dr
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| according to severity i.e. mild, moderate
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| | Ung.There is also little research of how
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| and severe. Sometimes, we use the term
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| | antidepressants work on children and
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| `reactive' depression to denote the type
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| | prescription drugs may increase the risk
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| that is due to a reaction to some stress
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| | of self-harm for some vulnerable ones.
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| (such as the sudden passing of a loved
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| | However, Dr Ung adds, "To keep a
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| one). Although very rare in children,
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| | perspective on things, the increase of
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| `psychotic' depression refers to the
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| | antidepressants prescriptions is small,
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| presence of psychotic symptoms, which are
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| | probably around 2% in affected children
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| symptoms that show that the person has
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| | given inactive medications (placebos) to
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| lost touch with reality, i.e. hearing
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| | about 4% of those on active
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| voices, believing irrational, bizarre or
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| | medication."Counselling, it seems , plays
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| incredible thoughts."Another childhood
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| | the key role in helping children recover
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| psychiatry expert, Dr Sharon Chan of
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| | from depression. "A good counsellor will
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| Sharon Chan Child Guidance Clinic, who
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| | try to get information from parents,
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| has been practicing child psychiatry
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| | child and school and will try his or her
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| since 1988 concurs, "I am not sure that
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| | best to co-ordinate the counselling to
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| there is such a categorization (of
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| | incorporate all these parties.
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| childhood depression).. because the
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| | Cognitive-behavioural therapy is one of
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| entity is still controversial, it follows
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| | the commonest forms of counselling
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| adult depression patterns (sic) -
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| | techniques used nowadays - it seeks to
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| chronic, single episode or recurrent,
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| | change the negative thoughts of the child
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| adjustment disorder, bipolar etc."Bipolar
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| | to more realistic and positive ones and
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| disorder, also known as manic-depression,
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| | also t help the child make action
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| is a type of mood disorder marked by
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| | behavioural changes that will help lift
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| extreme changes in mood, energy levels
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| | the mood," adds the psychiatrist.Cyber
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| and behaviour. Symptoms can begin in
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| | Help
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| early childhood but more typically emerge
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| | With the computer-savvy generation of
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| in adolescence or adulthood. Children
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| | today, some children or teens may choose
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| with bipolar disorder usually alternate
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| | to express their thoughts and feelings in
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| rapidly between extremely high moods
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| | cyber space. is a community website
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| (mania) and low moods (depression). These
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| | launced in March to provide information
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| rapid mood shifts can produce
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| | and counselling services for depression.
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| irritability with periods of wellness
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| | A `diary' services allows members to post
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| between episodes, or the young person may
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| | daily updates on their mental and
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| feel both extremes at the same time.
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| | emotional experiences while a `letterbox'
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| Parents who have children with the
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| | service provides them with an opportunity
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| disorder often describe them as
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| | to ask questions to a panel of experts.
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| unpredictable, alternating between
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| | Most importantly, a service like this
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| aggressive or silly and withdrawn.Stages
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| | seeks to educate the public on the
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| of childhood depressionAccording to a
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| | existence of depression and encourage
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| Harvard Medical School Publication, " The
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| | those who are depressed to seek help.
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| picture changes with age. Up to age
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| | Following examples, depressed children
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| three, the signs (of childhood
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| | may be inspired by a strong sense of
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| depression) may include feeding problems,
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| | community to step out of a possible state
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| tantrums, and lack of playfulness and
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| | of isolation. Adults too, can visit to
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| emotional expressiveness. AT ages 3-5,
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| | gather more information and advice before
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| depressed children may be accident-prone
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| | deciding how best to seek
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| and subject to phobias. Even before age
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| | help.Understanding is Key."Sometimes,
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| 5, they may show signs of self-reproach
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| | depressed children are mistakenly
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| by apologizing unnecessarily for minor
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| | labelled as lazy, stubborn or difficult,"
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| mistakes and transgressions like spilling
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| | says Dr Chan. This is largely due to a
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| food or forgetting to put clothes away.
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| | lack of knowledge and understanding on
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| Children of early school age (6-8)
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| | the adults' part. Children, unlike adults
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| sometimes show depression with vague
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| | are dependent on their families and
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| physical complaints and aggressive
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| | guardians to identify their troubles and
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| behavior. They may cling to their parents
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| | seek help.Dr Ung adds," One common
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| and avoid new people and challenges. At
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| | misconception is that the child is mad.
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| ages 9-12, some common symptoms are
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| | This is totally not so. Another is that
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| morbid thoughts and lying awake worrying
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| | the child is `weak'. Some famous people
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| about schoolwork. By then, children have
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| | who are strong of character and have
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| enough intellectual capacity and social
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| | suffered depression include Abraham
|
| understanding to think about reasons for
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| | Lincoln. Another misconception is that it
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| their depression , and they may blame
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| | is incurable or that the child is `bad'.
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| themselves for disappointing their
| |
| | Depression is a very treatable condition
|
| parents."When asked for his opinion on
| |
| | and the change of behaviour from
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| this analysis, Dr Ung says, " I think
| |
| | depression should not be mistaken for
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| that this is a good guide by and large.
| |
| | `badness'.
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| Nevertheless, this is merely a guide and
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| |
|
