Is your child missing school due to depression?
October 30, 2020
Teenage depression is becoming all the more common these days. According to the World Health Organisation, it’s the number one cause of illness and disability in adolescents. This could be due to a variety of factors that include not being happy at school, struggling to make friends, and even the changes that are part of adolescence. When it comes to flagging depression in teenagers, knowing what to look out for can make all the difference. Not only does this make parents able to identify it, they’ll also be able to take action and offer support before it’s too late.
Is teenage depression the reason why your child is missing school? Whilst not every child is the same, there are many red flags that parents should be taking note of. Often, these might be once-off occurrences and as a result, are nothing to worry about. Should you notice that these persist or if there are any patterns, it is definitely time to step in. Here are a few tell-tale signs that might apply in your family’s case.
1) Irritability, anger and indifference
With depression often taking a toll on sleep patterns, it’s common for teens who are suffering to become angry or irritated at the drop of a hat. They might be inclined to lash out at friends or family members. You might even notice that they’re more impatient than they were before. Indifference is another indicator and your child might seem as if they don’t care about anything really. This is depression stealing all feelings, both positive and negative. If your child appears indifferent when they do something that they’d normally love, it could very well be depression.
2) Pulling back from things and people they used to enjoy
Aside from appearing indifferent, if your child tends to avoid people, situations and activities that they once loved, you might want to pay attention. This is one way in which depression takes a toll on teens. This is usually followed by them making excuses to skip or cancel things they wouldn’t have missed normally.
3) Aches, pains and fatigue
Believe it or not, depression is also a physical illness. This means your child might have symptoms like joint pain, headaches, stomach discomfort, back pain or even exhaustion. If they’re using these to miss school on a regular basis, it’s time to take action.
4) A tendency to give up
Depression leads to helplessness and hopelessness. These two things trigger low self-esteem. This could see your child giving up on goals or relationships that were once important to them. You might also notice that your child distancing themselves from friends and activities like sports or other hobbies.
5) Changes in their school marks and eating habits
With the low concentration and decreased energy that comes with depression, your child might have a hard time getting the good results they once did. You might notice that their marks have dipped. It’s also worth talking to their teacher to see if they’ve noticed anything in class. Where eating is concerned, your child may start to eat less or even binge on certain foods in an attempt to soothe their feelings.
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