Are you concerned about your child feeling overwhelmed or anxious?
Would you like to learn how to help a teenager with anxiety and address your child’s depression effectively?
In a comprehensive meta-analysis conducted in 2021 by Nicole Racine who is a PhD researcher in psychology, 29 studies involving over 81,000 individuals were analyzed.
The results demonstrated that 25% of children aged 4-17 years exhibited signs of increased depression.
Danny Pine, who is a child psychiatrist, found in another study that one in five children experience stress at a clinical level as they approach adolescence.
This shows the severity of teenagers stress.
These statistics deserve our undivided attention and demand us to work on stress management.
While childhood depression is not a new phenomenon, the recent pandemic has significantly worsened the situation and caused too much stress and increased the chances of relapsing depression.
Children and teenagers have been particularly affected due to social distancing, remote learning, and a spike in screen time.
As a parent, it is your responsibility to take care physical and mental health and manage stress of your kids .
That’s why we’ve put together this blog post to help you identify physical symptoms and stress response in your child, recognize the signs they display when feeling overwhelmed, and learn the art of managing stress and support them effectively.
Table of Contents
What Causes Kids and Teens to Stress Out?
Every age factor has its own reasons for stress. Some of the common causes of stress and anxiety among kids are;
- Childhood trauma
- ongoing social isolation
- Feeling unprepared and missed milestones
- increased negative thoughts due to family stress
- decreased peer interaction
- Loss of friend or family member
- Stressful life events
- negative self talk
- trouble sleeping
- Medical illness or co-occurring mental health condition
- Environmental stressors or inequities such as poverty or food insecurity
- Substance misuse
- Genetics
Here we’ll also elaborate on the causes of stress for kids and teens separately and after that we will discuss about how to deal with stressful situations.
Causes of Stress in Young Kids
At home, young children often face stress when there’s tension in the family.
Things like disagreements, divorce, or loss can be tough on them.
But even positive changes like moving into a new house, welcoming a baby brother or sister, or getting a loving new stepparent can be challenging.
Another common stressor for kids is school life, where they might worry about making friends, dealing with bullies, or getting on their teacher’s good side.
Anxiety about tests and grades can also be a big deal for them.
Since the pandemic, even more, serious stress has been affecting younger kids.
Causes of Stress in Adolescents and Teens
As kids grow older, they start facing stress from different sources.
Teenagers are more likely to feel stressed by things happening outside their homes.
Self-harm, drug poisoning, and eating disorders have increased among this group since the start of the pandemic.
During the 2020-2021 school year, a whopping 60% of college students experienced at least one mental health issue, according to the Healthy Minds Study, which surveyed 373 campuses across the country.
Friends can be both a blessing and a curse. While they can help reduce stress, they can also be a source.
Social life becomes super important during the teenage years. Many teens stress fitting in, navigating their first romantic relationships, and handling peer pressure around drugs and sex.
Treatment for kids who have depression
When your child is struggling with significant stress or anxiety, a child psychologist will team up with you to figure out the best game plan. Here are some options they might suggest:
Therapy or counseling
Talk therapy, also known as psychotherapy, is when a therapist helps your child dig deep into the stuff and emotions to find mental health problems.
This kind of therapy can actually work wonders on the brain, making it happier in the long run.
CBT, or cognitive behavioral therapy, is all about figuring out how your child thinks and how those thoughts might be making them feel depressed.
Your child could learn new coping skills.
Playtime therapy is when the little ones use their wild imaginations to dive into stuff they might not usually talk about.
If you and your kiddo are always on the go, online therapy might be the bee’s knees. Just make sure you give the okay and get involved, too!
Medication
Sometimes, when your child is really down and out, a doctor might say it’s time for some happy pills.
Dr. Richa Bhatia, a fancy head-doctor from Santa Rosa, California, says:
SSRIs (short for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) might work for some kids.
Keep a close eye on these meds with your doc, as they might give your child some scary thoughts.
Chat with your kid’s psychiatrist to figure out if the sad feelings are worse than the risks of taking these pills.
Tips to Manage Your Child’s Feeling of Depression & Anxiety
Besides these therapy or medication, here are some valuable stress management tips that you can apply to help your kid save from depression.
Emotional backing stress management
To provide your child with emotional backing, you could:
- Gently ask about their emotions and actively listen to their responses
- Take an interest in their daily life, particularly when something brings them joy
- Validate their feelings and reassure them that seeking help for overwhelming emotions is normal
Practical assistance stress management
Promoting healthy habits can complement professional help. Consider:
- Motivating them healthy ways such as eat well, enough sleep and limiting screen time.
- Improve physical activity by spending time in playground or park.
- Demonstrating mindful journaling and meditation practices
- Creating and sticking to regular sleep routines
- Encouraging them to engage in activities they typically enjoy, even if they don’t feel like it at the moment
Social connections
A 2019 review of studies on childhood depression highlights the importance of peer relationships in reducing depression in vulnerable children. You might want to:
- Inform school teachers and counselors that your child could use extra support right now
- Participate in parent support groups
- Foster nurturing friendships for your child, if they show interest in forming such connections.
Conclusion
Childhood depression and anxiety can have serious impacts on a child’s well-being and development, and it’s essential for parents to manage their stress be aware of the signs and symptoms.
While the causes of stress and anxiety can vary from child to child, there are many effective ways parents can help their child cope.
Seeking professional help through therapy or medication is an important step, but there are also practical steps parents can take to encourage healthy habits and positive social connections.
By providing emotional support, practical assistance, and fostering nurturing relationships, parents can help their child navigate the challenges of growing up with greater resilience and confidence.
