Depression is a mental illness that affects people of all age,  including young children.
 
Often a young child can easily be mistaken as being moody when displaying symptoms of depressed behaviour.  Some parents can be completely unaware that their young child is in a constant state of unhappiness, which is an issue that does need to be addressed.
 
Sometimes the symptoms of Depression in young children can be seen as just “part of growing up”. It can be hard to tell the difference between sadness and depression in children aged 3-8 years.
Young children who suffer from Depression or “depressed mood” are at risk of the condition affecting their physical as well as mental health.
 
What Does Depression Look Like In Young Children?
 
Depression in children is a serious illness and can be identified by several symptoms including:

• Feeling down for a long period of time, a fortnight or more
• Negative thinking
• Lack of interest in daily activities
• Aggressive and defiant behaviour
• Temper tantrums
• Self pity, saying no-one likes them
• Feeling guilty – for example, they might say things like, ‘It’s always my fault’
• Fearful and worried a lot
• Frequent aches and pains that don’t seem to have a medical cause

 
It is important for children who display indicators of Depression, to receive professional advice without delay so they can receive the right care, so please visit your GP if you have any concerns about your child.

Specialised Services for Children and Adolescents

• All anxiety problems including phobias, separation anxiety, OCD, performance anxiety (exam)
• Hypnotherapy for Eating Disorders (Children under 12)
• Mood disorders
• Bullying including cyberbullying
• Abuse (Psychological, physical and sexual) and trauma
• Oppositional defiant disorder and Conduct disorder
• Self- esteem and social skills issues
• Behavioural issues including those experienced by children with autism and intellectual disability
• Learning issues
• Self-harm
• Alcohol and other drug use
• Eating disorders
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder/Attention Deficit Disorder
• Adjustment Issues

 
Swan Valley Psychology Centre
 
The Swan Valley Psychology Centre is a member of the Australian Psychological Society and the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Authority, and are also approved to supervise Clinical Psychology Registrars and Clinical Psychology Students.
 
Their caring team provide a high standard of care and clinical psychology services to all their patients who display symptoms of depressed behaviour, with those patients ranging in ages from young children through to elderly people.
 
For more information or to make an appointment, please contact the team:
 
Phone: 9379 3580
Fax:      9379 3557
Web: www.svpc.com.au
Email: Christina@svpc.com.au

​Here in Perth, Western Australia, people who suffer with Depression are able to get support from a variety of resources. 

Sometimes however, there are people who fall through the cracks, and are missing out on this support, mainly because they have not been formerly assessed and diagnosed with depression.

Which Age group Is More Likely To Suffer With depression?

Depression is a mental health issue which can affect people of all ages and walks of life, including children and the elderly.

In Australia, depression in our older adults has become a common problem, as the population is aging.

The medical symptoms  of depression can dramatically affect the lifestyle of people in many ways including:

• Self confidence
• Appetite
• Energy levels
• Sleep patterns
• Motivation and interest in doing anything
• Feeling pain
• Feeling irritable

Often those older people who are suffering depressive behaviour do not even realise that they have anything to be concerned about and put it down to just getting old.

Older family members may prefer to avoid discussing the issue, for fear of becoming a burden. We all need to be able to help and support any of our family or friends who are suffering with this mental health issue known as depression.

How To Notice Signs Of Depression

Making an effort to spend time with our older relations, is a good start to keeping an eye on them and noticing when they are not feeling their usual self.

If a person has been in a low or depressed mood for several months, it may be time to look for other indicators that depression could be the cause. 

Depression is common in the elderly and often the signs are overlooked and put down to ageing. 

Symptoms of depression in an elderly person may become apparent after:

• The loss of a family member or close friend
• The loss of a valued pet
• Financial hardship
• Major surgery
• Experiencing a stroke 
• Diagnosis of terminal illness

How To Help Our Older Adults With Depression

If you have concerns that your elderly loved one has depression, or suspect your parent is suffering depressed mood symptoms, encourage him or her to seek professional help. 

Contact the team at the Swan Valley Psychology Centre for more information, support and treatment for people with depression or depressed mood.  

Phone: 08 9379 3580
Fax: 08 93793557
Address: 85 Walter Road East, Bassendean 6054
Postal Address: PO Box 4073, Eden Hill WA 6054
Web: www.svpc.com.au
Email: Christina@svpc.com.au

For parents, it is both exciting and and overwhelming watching their children grow up.  They watch them take their first steps, start school, finish school and then eventually most children decide to move out of home.  While this is an eventful milestone for many families, some parents experience what’s been labelled ‘empty nest syndrome’.   ‘Empty nest syndrome’ is an informal term used for the sadness, grief, loneliness experienced by some parents after their child leaves home. Not all parents experience these feelings and some enjoy the freedom that comes with their children leaving their home.  However, some parents struggle with ‘empty nest syndrome’ which can either last for a short period or in some cases persist for longer periods, making them vulnerable to developing depression.

Anxiety and depression are two different mental health illnesses.  Although depression and anxiety are not the same, they do have some similar elements. In addition to having some similarities,  depression and anxiety often occur together.  It is unknown why the two mental health illnesses occur together so often.  While depression is usually considered a  low energy state and anxiety is considered a high energy state, there appears to be a link between the two.  Often when a person has depression, they also experience a lot of anxiety.

​Everyone occasionally feels sad, lonely, disappointed or unmotivated.  These are all normal emotions that most people experience at various times in their life, especially after a sad event.  However, most people also get over these feelings of sadness and are able to feel better after a little while.  So how do people know when they are depressed or just feeling a bit sad?

Its that time of year when we can feel a little cold snap in the air.  Summer is over and winter is on our doorstep!! Every year when the weather turns cool and the daylight hours dwindle there are some people that experience the winter blues which can turn into a type of depression.

Anyone with children at school would have been exposed to some form of bullying at one stage or another.  Some parents have children at school that have been bullied, some parents have children that are the bully while other parents have children that may not have been directly affected by bullying but may have been witness to bullying or known someone that was bullied.   Whether your child has been exposed to bullying or not, most parents are concerned about the issue of bullying affecting their child.

Having a baby is one of the most memorable and precious moments of your life.  Like many people, you have probably dreamt of the day that you will have a baby! Although this is a wonderful time in your life, it can also be quite stressful!  Having a baby is a major life change and it takes time for new parents to adjust to a new way of life. It is normal to feel overwhelmed at times but if you are feeling depressed, overwhelmed or anxious most of the time for more than two weeks, you may be experiencing symptoms of Postnatal Depression.

Valentines Day is a romantic time of year when we celebrate love and spend time with those we cherish.  It’s an excuse to have a night out together, or spoil your partner and show your romantic side.  While many couples enjoy this time of year, others try to avoid it all together!  Valentines Day is a painful reminder to some people of what they don’t have and what they may be missing out on.  In actual fact, some people experience loneliness and depression in the weeks surrounding Valentines Day!

Anxiety is a normal, natural emotion that most children experience during their lifetime. Some children react more intensely to situations that they consider threatening and find it harder to get their emotions under control.