What is depression?

Depression is a mental health condition that can affect people of all ages. Children with depression may feel unhappy, miserable or irritable. They might describe this as feeling “grumpy” or “down”. You may notice that they have lost interest in things they normally enjoy or have temper tantrums instead of a depressed mood.

While it is normal to feel unhappy sometimes, if these feelings interfere with your child's activities or social life, or they go on for more than 2 weeks, they may have depression. Children with depression have different symptoms than teenagers or adults with depression, and they may not be able to express their feelings clearly.

This information is about depression in children. However, many aspects and risk factors of depression are not age specific. Read more on depression in the general community.

How common is depression in children?

Depression affects as many as 1 in 50 children and is equally common in different genders and sexes. Depression is less common in children than it is in teenagers.

What causes depression in children?

Depression can be caused by a wide range of factors, and every child has their own circumstances. Factors might be from their environment or may be inherited from their families.

Things that might affect babies’ and toddlers’ mental health are:

• traumatic events such as a death in the family
• abuse
• sickness or having a disability
• born very early (prematurity)
• homelessness
• a parent with mental health difficulties — such as postnatal depression

Children aged 5 to 11 years experience many new changes that can also affect their mental health such as:

• separation anxiety, especially in new situations
• new fears or phobias
• difficulties with relationships or bullying

Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children and children who are refugees or asylum seekers, are also more likely to experience depression.

Children who have other conditions, including autism spectrum disorder, learning disabilities, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or a significant disability, are all more likely to experience depression. Having someone in the family with a mental illness also makes depression more likely.

Children can also develop depression for no obvious reason, and the fact that there is no clear cause doesn't mean that a child is not depressed.

What are the signs of depression in children?

The signs of depression in children might change the way they feel, think or behave. There are also physical signs of depression.

Children with depression may feel:

• cranky
• irritable
• angry
• sad
• anxious

Children with depression may think:

• that they are a bad person
• their difficulties are their own fault
• that bad things will happen to them, and they may worry a lot
• that no one loves them

Children with depression may behave in unusual ways, such as:

• not wanting to do things they enjoy (such as see friends) or being less playful
• not wanting to be apart from a parent or carer (increased clinginess)
• being angry and impulsive, yelling, hitting, biting or damaging things (but remember, it’s normal for children to have tantrums at times)
• doing less well in school than they normally do
• not feeling hungry, or eating too much
• finding it hard to concentrate

Children can also have physical signs of depression, such as:

• stomach aches
• headaches
• tiredness
• muscle pains
• changes in sleeping habits
• toileting difficulties including bed wetting

Children can also have severe depression and suicidal thoughts or actions.

Suicide and crisis support: If you or someone close to you is in crisis, or at immediate risk of harm, call triple zero (000). To talk to someone now call Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467 or Lifeline 13 11 14.

When should I seek help?

The sooner your child can get help, the sooner they can start to feel better.

You should speak to your child’s doctor if:

• your child has signs of depression for 2 weeks or more
• their symptoms stop them from managing as well as normal at home or school
• you are worried that they may have depression

Your child's doctor will be able to make an assessment and build a mental health treatment plan with you for your child. This is a plan that maps out the treatment goals and includes the services and resources available to you.

If your doctor thinks that other health professionals, such as a paediatrician, psychologist or psychiatrist should be involved, they will be able to refer you.

If your child has been showing occasional signs of depression or is just feeling sad, they could reach out to a school teacher, counsellor, friend or family member for help.

How can I help a child with depression?

If your child has depression, they may need your help to understand what they are feeling and to seek help. You can help them find words to express their feelings or help them to build resilience. This will help them manage difficult situations and recover more easily.

Take your child to their doctor so they can assess their behaviour and feelings. The doctor may also check for physical signs that might indicate depression. They will also rule out other problems such as anaemia, thyroid issues or vitamin deficiencies.

Whatever treatment your doctor recommends, your child will need your help practically, to arrange their treatment. They will also need your help emotionally, since they may be confused or worried about what is happening to them.

It may also help to discuss your child's situation with their teacher and any other adults they spend a lot of time with. Making other people aware of what's going on can help them be more sensitive to the situation and give your child extra support.

How is depression in children treated?

Your doctor can help you build a mental health treatment plan for your child if they have depression. The treatment plan is written up by your doctor and will help you access up to 20 sessions per year with a mental health professional, with the cost partly covered by Medicare.

The plan may include different treatment strategies and tools. Your doctor may recommend a referral to a psychologist, social worker, psychiatrist or paediatrician.

Tips to support your child at home:

• Give your child a lot of positive attention, especially talking and listening to them about their concerns and feelings.
• Help your child to get the right amount of sleep.
• Talk to your child's school counsellor or teacher to find how to best support your child at school.
• Work together to set goals and solve problems.
• Encourage your child to do activities they usually enjoy.
• Provide children with a healthy diet with enough physical activity.

Your doctor may also recommend leaflets or online resources for help and support. If your child is being bullied (at school or online) or not getting the support they need, it is important to focus on solving these problems as part of treating your child's depression.

Your doctor may also refer your child for psychological therapy. This could be cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), interpersonal therapy (IPT), family therapy or individual therapy. If your child's symptoms do not improve, your doctor may refer you to a child psychiatrist who can discuss medicines for depression (antidepressants).

Few medicines have been proven to be effective at treating depression in children. Any child who takes medicines for depression must be closely monitored by their doctor for their safety.

Resources and support

• Speak to Kids Helpline about depression by calling 1800 55 1800 or via webchat.
• Share your experiences on My Circle — a free social platform for people aged between 12 and 25 years, and supported by Kids Helpline counsellors.
• Find support for yourself while caring for a child with depression on ReachOut Australia's website for Parents and Carers.
  • ReachOut also have many school resources for student wellbeing.
• Beyond Blue also has support on parenting and mental health.

If you are worried about depression in a child aged 5 years or younger, call Pregnancy, Birth and Baby to speak to a maternal child health nurse on 1800 882 436 or video call. Available from 7 am to midnight (AET), 7 days a week (including public holidays).

You can also call the healthdirect helpline on 1800 022 222 (known as NURSE-ON-CALL in Victoria). A registered nurse is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Looking for information for sexually and gender-diverse families?

If you are experiencing depression related to your sexuality or gender identity (LGBTQI+), Qlife provides a counselling and referral service for LGBTQI+ people. You can call them on 1800 184 527 from 3pm to midnight every day.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders

For more information on mental health and wellbeing for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people with the Black Dog Institute.

The Beyond Blue has information on how depression affects Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people.

Other languages

Embrace Mental Health is a project run by Mental Health Australia focused on mental health for people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds, providing access to resources, services and information in a culturally accessible format.