Activity can protect children against depression
Learn the warning signs to watch for in your child
Regular physical activity goes a long way toward improving our kids’ physical health — but did you know it might help protect against depression as well?
As a child and adolescent psychiatrist and researcher, I recently completed a study exploring the potential protective effects of physical activity. We looked at 40 studies involving 90,000 healthy children between 8 and 19 years old and we found a relationship between being more active and having fewer depressive symptoms in the future.
Of course, like many illnesses, a number of factors can play a role in the development of depression.
A family history of depression — especially in a parent — can place a child at higher likelihood of developing the illness. We also know kids who don’t feel like they fit in with their peers or silently struggle at school are at higher risk. This can sometimes be the result of having an undetected learning disability, being bullied or socially excluded, or being in an academic program that doesn’t recognize their strengths.
On the other hand, having solid social supports and feeling connected with family and friends is known to have mental health benefits. Sufficient, good quality sleep is also known to improve a child’s mood.
In my clinic, I see the effect of depression and other mental illnesses on kids and families — but I also see the potential we have to make an impact on their lives when they receive the help they need. Some people worry that talking about sadness or other symptoms of depression will make the problem worse. But that is a misconception; it simply isn’t the case.
Sometimes people also think that when children experience depression, their behaviours are somehow wilful or voluntary. But the more we learn about mental illness, the more we understand that these are symptoms of disorders that affect brain and the body that need treatment, like any other illness.
More than 3 million youth between the ages of 12 and 19 are at risk for developing depression. Depression can also occur alongside other conditions, including anxiety disorders or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Research also suggests that these kinds of problems continue as children grow older. More than 70 per cent of adults with mental illness experienced their symptoms for the first time as a child or youth.
We know more today than ever before about the toll depression can take on children and adolescents, but there is still a lot of work to do. Compared to the impact this illness has on the young people who live with it, funding for research into the cause and the treatment of depression is still relatively small.
But depression can have a devastating impact on children and their families, and the research is needed. At SickKids, my colleagues and I are leading studies to learn more about the risk factors and the causes of depression, and what the most effective interventions might be. Those are just a few examples.
If you’re concerned your child might be depressed, the first step is to talk with him or her. Ask how they’re feeling, listen, and offer your support. Don’t be afraid to reach out to your family doctor or pediatrician and ask for help. Watch for these signs: A change in mood, such as sadness or irritability.
Less interest in the friends, activities or clubs that they usually enjoy.
Decreased interest in school, or falling grades. Changes in sleep habits. Low energy. Decreased or increased appetite. Changes in ability to focus or concentrate. Dr. Daphne Korczak is an assistant professor in the department of psychiatry at the University of Toronto and a member of the Institute of Medical Science. She is the director of the Children’s Integrated Mood and Body (CLIMB) Depression Program and a child and adolescent psychiatrist at the Hospital for Sick Children. Doctors’ Notes is a weekly column by members of the U of T Faculty of Medicine. Email doctorsnotes@thestar.ca.