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Even young children can be depressed

By Staff Writer

While many people believe that only teens and adults can be depressed, Joan Luby, director of the early emotional development program at Washington University, says that even preschool children can be depressed.

Although some professionals argue that children do not have the emotional or cognitive competence to have the disorder, Luby said that her 20 years of clinical experience prove this theory wrong.

In a recent study, Luby and other researchers found that children who are depressed have very similar patterns in an area of the brain known as the right amygdala as adults who are dealing with depression. Additionally, she found that children who display signs of the disorder when they are young are more likely to continue to suffer from it when they are adults.

Luby said that parents should be on the lookout for symptoms of depression, such as irritability, persistent sadness and having no desire to play. Adults who believe that their children are depressed may want to consider enrolling them in therapeutic schools, where faculty are qualified to mange similar disorders. 

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