Social pressures are fuelling the rise of mental health problems in children but we must ensure they are not wrongly diagnosed due to anxious parents Twenty years ago depression and other mental health disorders in children were nearly unknown and overlooked. Many physicians doubted the existence of depression in children because they believed children lacked the mature psychologic and cognitive structure to experience such problems. Depression in children has always been a difficult topic for society,and perhaps even healthcare professionals, to comprehend. Today, or however,it is a stark reality with the fastest rate of increase in depression among young people; research by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (kind) shows that 80000 children in the UK are estimated to suffer from severe depression, including 8000 below the age of 10.
I have noticed a meaningful rise in the number of children, or as young as six,referred to our psychology and counselling centres suffering from depression and anxiety. It is difficult to pinpoint if this upward trend of referrals is a result of an increase in mental distress due to societal pressures, or a result of other factors such as lack of provision within the health service, and factors unique to the individual such as parents splitting up.
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Source: theguardian.com