Any parent can attest that the “Terrible 2’s” are a moody, temperamental time in the life of a toddler. Many kids are irritable and seem to throw temper tantrums for no reason, and some engage in more destructive behaviors like biting, hitting, and kicking themselves or others. Unfortunately, for some children, this phase lasts well beyond their third birthday. Are these kids just demonstrating the outward signs of emotional immaturity, or are they suffering from clinical depression? A new study funded by the National Institute of Mental Health and published in Archives of General Psychiatry suggests it may be the latter.
Depression was most likely in children of mothers with depression or other mood disorders, as well as children who had experienced a traumatic event, such as the death of a parent or abuse. While most preschoolers are happy-go-lucky most of the time, depressed children are often sad and tend to play games with somber themes. A persistent lack of appetite, frequent temper tantrums, and sleep problems are also symptoms seen in depressed children. Further, excessive guilt and shame is an indicator of preschool-onset depression. Despite investigation, no evidence has shown that depressed preschoolers show developmental delays.
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