Tips and Risk Factors for Pediatric Depression

Here are several tips for managing a depressed student in the classroom:

• Make the child a leader in classroom activities to help foster self-confidence.
• Develop a rapport with the student, look him or her in the eye and acknowledge their existence each day.
• Try and remember very specific things about the student to let him or her know you’re paying attention.
• Provide the student with individual attention when possible to show he or she is important to you.
• Find something about the student to praise each day.
• Foster an open door policy and provide an outlet for the student to talk if he or she is comfortable with you. Don’t force the issue; just let him or her know you’re willing and available to listen. Sometimes a student just wants to be heard.
• Be mindful of the student's poems, pictures and drawings, statements and red flag words that may indicate the student is considering death and/or suicide or is obsessed with death. If you notice any of these things, seek the help of a mental health professional immediately.

The risk factors for pediatric depression include:

• Stress
• Cigarette smoking
• Loss of a parent or loved one
• Break up of a romantic relationship
• Attention, conduct or learning disorders
• Chronic illnesses
• Current or history of abuse, neglect or other trauma
• Exposure to parental substance abuse or domestic violence
• Exposure to natural disasters