How Can A Diagnosis Of Depression Be Made In A Preschooler?
The diagnosis of clinical depression in a young child must be made by a specialist who is very knowledgeable about normal and abnormal emotional development in children. A child psychiatrist, a pediatrician or a child psychologist are frequently consulted when there is a question of depression in a child. The problem with making the diagnosis of depression in a preschooler is that the criteria that currently exist for diagnosing depression have only been tested in adult patients. According to a study in the August 2002 issue of the Journal of the American Association of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (JAACAP), preschool-age children may be seriously depressed but not meet the official adult criteria for depression. This important study also outlined the main symptoms exhibited by the depressed children. The children who were depressed, as compared to those who were not, had the following signs and symptoms: • Sad or irritable mood • Low energy • Low self-esteem • Trouble thinking • De
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