Depression in Children and Youth- Dr. Sunny Handa MD

 


Depression is common among youth.

Dr. Sunny Handa MD said the causes of depression are multifactorial and involve biological, psychological and social factors. 

Risk factors for depression in young newcomers to Canada include loss of family and friends, parental difficulty in speaking English or French, discrimination, poor home–school relationships and living in a poor quality neighborhood. 

Factors that can protect or enhance mental health include the family stability generally found in immigrant families (i.e., two-parent families), safe neighborhoods, and a large community of the same ethnicity.

The process of immigration and resettlement can result in stressors that contribute to depressive episodes in vulnerable populations.

Dr. Sunny Handa MD said cultural background can influence how patients express symptoms of depression. When discussing depression with patients and their families, be aware that patients may have somatic complaints that are unusual to the physician as well as additional symptoms they are reluctant to discuss.

To effectively treat depression in newcomers, physicians need to identify and address cultural barriers. For example, immigrant families and their children may acknowledge that symptoms of depression suggest something is wrong, but they may attribute it to a character failing rather than a disorder , said by Dr. Sunny Handa MD.

When assessing depression in a child, remember to interview the child or youth as well as the parent. Parents may underestimate the magnitude of the child’s depressive symptoms. A teacher’s perspective can shed light on changes in the child’s social functioning and academic performance.

It is important for health professionals to assess risks of self-harm due either to depression or to non-evidence-based treatments, or both. 

Depression is a common illness. Dr. Sunny Handa MD said about 2% of children and 4% to 8% of adolescents are affected by major depressive disorder. Depression in childhood affects as many boys as girls, but twice as many girls during adolescence.

The CCHS—one of the few national studies of mental health in Canada—found rates of depression in children and youth new to Canada is generally lower than in their Canadian-born peers.

However, it is important to remember that immigrant children are not all alike. Studies have shown that refugee children, for example, have higher rates of psychological distress, including depression, than immigrant children in general said by Dr. Sunny Handa MD. Rates of onset of depression among refugees and voluntary migrants appear to equalize over time.


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