Such children often deliberately hurt themselves: cut hands, pull out hair, beat their head against the wall. They often have a suicidal mood – in this case, they may fulfil their plans quickly if adults do not pay attention to their problems in time.

The study showed that the adolescents who were bullied three times more that their peers had an 8% risk to hurt themselves. For those who rarely got into such situations this figure equalled 2%. Moreover, girls hurt themselves more often than boys do. The authors of the study emphasize a few factors that increase the risks: a similar case that took place within the family, abuse, behavioural and emotional problems.

Today, diagnosis of depression is based on surveying the patient, who enlists the symptoms, and physicians prescribe therapy on the basis of these data. The researchers from Chicago say that their method will help identify depression at an early stage and use personalized treatment.

According to the scientists, the new test will be particularly relevant for adolescent patients. Depression in children is difficult to identify because children cannot always tell what depresses and worries them, and so they cannot get the right treatment. The development of the disease at an early age suggests its being of genetic nature, that is inherited.

According to the experts, if the level of depression at a younger age does not exceed 2-4%, depression in teenagers is already at the level of 10-20%. If depression is left untreated, the risk of overusing psychoactive substances increases, there appear difficulties with social adjustment, and the child may get sick often. Sometimes teenagers run away from home, unable to cope with problems on their own, or even attempt suicide. That is why the researchers say it is important to give an early and accurate diagnosis.

To conduct their research, the team of scientists invited 14 teenagers, diagnosed with depression, and 14 healthy teens from 15 to 19 years old. Taking blood samples, the researchers paid particular attention to the 26 biological markers of depression, which had been previously identified in the course of experiments on rats. 11 of these markers were found in the blood of the teenagers, participating in the experiment.

According to the report of the American scientists, published in the Translational Psychiatry journal, biological markers of blood provide objective data that can be used to verify verbal information obtained from the patient and improve the accuracy of diagnosis. Diagnosis and classification of depression at its early stage would help extend the arsenal of therapeutic means and select individual therapy.

Since 1991, the researchers have been studying 1364 mothers from the moment of birth and to the period when their children became 10 years old. The scholars were interested to know the impact of the career on the mothers’ welfare (the experiment involved the mothers, who worked full time or part-time and who were housewives).

The verdict is as follows: the mothers, who work, have the best health and psychological balance. There is no much difference, whether the mother works full-time or part-time.

The mothers, who work part-time, also showed the best resistance to depression, and the mothers, staying at home, were more prone to depressive states.

The mothers, working part-time, pay more attention to the raising of their children, while the mothers, working full-time, and housewives have little or no opportunity to participate in their children’s education (the children of pre-school age are taken into account).

So, we are right, when we demand more lenient working conditions, but at the same time do not abandon the job altogether.

The study reinforces the common wisdom that fat people have a positive attitude. Sense of well-being may be due to hormonal and neuroendocrine features that accompany overweight. It may also be because a person gave up fighting overweight and learned to love him/herself the way he/she is.

About 40 000 adolescents took part in the research that established a connection between body mass index and depression. The connection was relevant for both boys and girls. Nevertheless, more girls were depressed, although they were less numerous in comparison with their peers of the opposite sex. While boys associated obesity or extra pounds with depression, girls had mental problems due to being even slightly overweight.

Source of the image: Photl.

According to a new research published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, successful treatment of depression and anxiety disorders in mothers significantly improves emotional and physical health of their children.

The group of scientists led by Dr. Myrna Weissman (Institute of Mental Health, USA) have observed 80 women suffering from depression and having children aged from 7 to 17 years.

The patients were treated with traditional methods: using group and individual psychotherapy and antidepressants.

During the observations, the psychiatrists have seen that the children of women with depression almost always display destructive behavior and the symptoms of disorders of psycho-social behavior. As their mothers underwent medicinal treatment and psychotherapy, the children improved their school performance, had fewer emotional disruptions, and there were fewer complaints of school authorities about the children’s conduct.

Professionals have always been aware of an obvious link between the mother and the child’s psycho-emotional characteristics. Now it has been proved experimentally. If you suffer from depression, do not hesitate to get professional help. If you cannot do it for yourself, do it for the good of your child.

Source of the image: Photl.

However, the scientists have analyzed the data obtained from 13,000 of British women and got to know that 2,800 of those who had had a miscarriage or a stillborn baby, in most cases were worried and experienced depression during the next pregnancy and even after the birth of the baby. A lot of women had been in a depressive state for 3 years after the birth of a healthy infant.

Professor Jean Golding says the study is important for the family members of the women who have lost a child, since they tend to think a woman quickly forgets the problem. The received results show that it is different.

Dr. Emma Robertson Blackmore from Rochester University in the United States adds that the discovery is of great importance for physicians since, assessing the risk of prenatal or postnatal depression among women, they usually do not take into account other risk factors such as family history of depression, stressful life events or lack of social support.

Source of the image: Photl.

Specialists note that only 14% of children are not exposed to negative effects of parental depression and neuroses, which are common responses to stress from everyday life. The remaining 86% of younger generation face the heavy burden of stress of their parents.

During the study the scientists surveyed tens of thousands of children and their parents. The psychologists examined the results and concluded that 43% of adolescents, ages up to 14, suffer from anxiety due to the stressed state of their parents; 37% of children noted that at those moments they feel empty and lose sense of joy of life; 34% admitted that they get extremely depressed from observing their parents being stressed out.

The authors of the article highlight that parents need to explain to their children the nature of their stress and how to deal with it. If the children will not learn to understand mechanism of stress and methods how to overcome it, then they may face serious psychological problems and psychosomatic illnesses in the future.

Source of the image: Photl.

The scientists came to this conclusion after studying 700 pregnant women in the last trimester. They analyzed the state of their psyche, and then studied the state of their newborns. Experiment with each mother and baby lasted for about a year. 132 women during pregnancy experienced depression, 186 – a feeling of anxiety. As a result, out of 583 babies born in time, one in every fifth baby weighed less than two and a half kilograms.

This led doctors to conclude that children’s health depends on the psychological state of their mothers. Experts say that depression and anxiety disorders in pregnant women can be a major factor in mortality and ill health in infants – the Health journal wrote.

Source of the image: Photl.

After studying nearly 9000 families, scientists concluded that within twelve years after the birth of a child, one in every three mothers and one in every five fathers experience a depressive disorder. Specifically, in the first year of a baby’s life, about 14 percent of American mothers and about three and a half per cent of dads complain about depression.

It is curious that according to psychologists, the risk of depression is much higher for young parents under the age of 24 years – they are susceptible to this ailment almost twice more likely than older parents are. Scientists believe such a high incidence of depressive disorders is understandable in relation with the birth of a child.

They explain this phenomenon as a stress that arises under the emergence of new type of load and responsibilities, as well as sharp imbalances associated with significant reductions in sleep time and rest by the child’s parents.

Source of the image: Depressivedisorder.blogspot.

A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association deals with the possibility of the man of the family developing post-natal depression – which turns out to be a serious issue for 10 per cent of new fathers.

Baby blues, or postpartum depression, is known to affect up to 30 percent of mothers following the birth of their child. It can last for a couple of months and is characterized by loss of interest, low energy, melancholy feelings, and sleep problems. After-labor hormonal changes are considered to bring about this condition.

In spite of the absence of hormonal changes, some new dads also begin to suffer from troubled sleep and dispiritedness due to changes in lifestyle and new responsibilities. This condition usually sets in after three to six months of the birth and is often reported in cases where the mother also is undergoing postpartum depression.

It is believed that many of the cases of postpartum depression in men remain undetected and untreated.

“Becoming a parent is one of the biggest changes that both men and women can go through,” comments Bridget O’Connell from the mental health charity Mind, adding that very little is actually known about the impact of the birth of a child on the mental health of the parents, as well as how many people are faced with perinatal psychological problems.

Scientists brought up an issue of the necessity for screening and referral of new fathers, pointing out that the psychological condition of parents is bound to have a lasting effect on that of their children.

Source of the image: Photl.com.

On the one hand, you would be excited and all in a dreamy mood about your baby and the very next moment you would have raised a hell to get an ice-cream from the store close by which would be closing down in the next 15 minutes. It is very crucial for all the people around you to know about your mood swings and it is similarly important for you to know how you should take care of your mood swings.

Hormonal Changes and Your Mood

Do you know what happens when there are tremendous changes in your estrogen and progesterone hormones? These two hormones are responsible for affecting you neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters are chemicals which are messengers between another cell and a neuron. The reason behind mood swings are the levels of serotonin and dopamine among neurotransmitters.

Serotonin makes us become angry, aggressive and affects our appetite, metabolism and not missing out our mood. It also causes vomiting.

Dopamine is responsible and associated with the feelings of pleasure and love. Moods swings take place between the first trimester approximately between 6 – 10 weeks. But, moods swings don’t leave your back just right now, they come back right before birth during your third trimester and your body is getting ready for the delivery.

How to Cope with Pregnant Mood Swings

You will have to accept that every pregnant woman goes through mood swings and you are no exception. These moods swings can be mild and severe as well. Moods swings are just another additional add-on to the various things that come along with pregnancy. The following is a short list which will help you to cope with stress and your mood swings:

• Sleep a lot.
• Get engaged in regular physical activity
• Eat healthy
• Spend good time with your husband
• Take a quick nap
• Go for a stroll
• See a movie with a friend
• Don’t be so rough on yourself
• Try a pregnancy yoga class or meditation
• Get a massage

The above mentioned are a few suggestions that you can try to keep yourself happy. However, you should not over exert yourself when getting involved in physical activities.

Pregnancy Depression

There are 11 million American women who suffer from depression every year. Depression could be noticed in women during puberty till their menopause, but can also knock your door at any age and any time. If you are going through mood swings which last for more than two weeks and you don’t seem to be coming out of it, then it is your turn to talk about this with your concerned doctor.

The following are a few signs of depression that you should watch out for:

1. Repeated nervousness and increased irritability.
2. Sleeping problems.
3. Alteration in eating habits.
4. Loosing concentration very soon on anything.
5. Short term loss of memory.

If your mood swings are happening quite often and rather have a severe face, it is important for you and your unborn child’s health that you should visit a doctor. This will help you in discussing your options. All you should understand in the end is that you are not alone, and mood swings do take place during pregnancy. It’s completely normal.

Source of the image: sxc.hu/profile/biewoef.

According to a psychological article published in Plos One magazine, this results in reducing their mother’s depression by 40 per cent as they get a chance to sleep better too.

The study authors emphasize that crying is not detrimental to infant’s mental health and when left alone crying they develop skills that help them fall asleep by themselves, instead of relying on being rocked into sleep by their parents.

Researchers clarify that these methods are appropriate for babies over six months of age. Such age restrictions are explained by the fact that newly born babies need to be fed at night while six month olds have to be gradually withdrawn from the night eating habit.

Source of the image: photl.com.

“The results of our study suggest an effect of antidepressant exposure on fetal brain development,” lead researcher Lars Henning Pedersen warns in his article published in Pediatrics. The effect of antidepressants, especially if taken during the last months of pregnancy, may tell on the motor development of the child, showing more in boys.
Babies’ ability to sit and walk may develop significantly later if their mothers used medications to fight their depression while they were with the child, compared to babies whose mothers withstood their depression without the aid of antidepressants.

Children affected by antidepressants show two times more cases when a child remains unable to sit unsupported by the age of six months. When they grow to be a year and half, attention problems begin to set in, and they reveal impaired ability to concentrate for a period of time proper for their age.

Source of the image: photl.com

While helping you manage your sleep and deal with emotional upheavals, antidepressants can interfere with the milk secretion process, causing difficulty with breastfeeding and probably inability to breastfeed for an adequate period. Quite a number of women seem to be susceptible to this influence, especially those who are going to give birth for the first time.

The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism published a study that describes the processes triggered off by the intake of antidepressants, mainly those that belong to the SSRI group (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors). They are fluoxetine, sertraline, paroxetine and some others. They are reported to affect serotonin regulation not only in the brain, but also in the breast.

Lead researcher Nelson Horseman remarked that the breasts, being serotonin-regulated glands, are closely connected with serotonin-related processes in the whole body.

Yet the discovery doesn’t undermine the importance of the SSRI antidepressants, Horseman says, calling them “very helpful medications for many moms” that “help them achieve their goals for breastfeeding their babies”.
The article also reports that mothers who had to cope with delayed lactation problems at early stages were perfectly able to breastfeed their babies later.

Source of the image: sxc.hu/profile/pawel_231.

In the study, the researchers tested children for creative abilities. After comparing test scores of children whose parents were prone to depression with the test scores of children from optimistic families, they found the first group included much more creative persons.

The study authors believe the source of creativity in depressed people comes from their negative emotions that drive a person to look for solutions. Yet now researchers are still uncertain how exactly creativity is inherited by children. They believe it may be a combined result of upbringing, family traditions and genes.

Source of the image: flickr.com/photos/roycostello.

The International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology published a report that asserts that more than half of expectant mothers make free use of medications.

Some of them, medications controlling epilepsy for one, are certainly advisable, but some other drugs should be avoided as harmful for the fetus. The article says that 6.3 percent of the drugs that are taken are highly pernicious. “These pregnancies were associated with an elevated number of (pregnancy terminations) and babies born with major (birth defects) in comparison with the expected numbers in the population,” the authors conclude.

Among the harmful drugs cited as most often taken during pregnancy are antibiotics, drugs for severe acne, psychiatric drugs that are used to treat depression, and some heart disease cures that are known to interfere with the natural development of the baby in the womb.

Consequently the children of mothers who went for medications while they were carrying their babies show a noticeably higher rate of birth defects.

Scientists underscore the importance of expecting mothers being aware of all the side effects of the drugs they are taking with special consideration for cures for chronic conditions.

Source of the image: sxc.hu/profile/dimshik.

Moreover, The Daily Telegraph found bras for 2-and-3 year olds on sale at a major department store, infuriating parents.

According to professor Louise Newman, this worrying trend is bringing about serious psychological implications. Some children suffer from clinical depression because they feel they are not good enough to be popular. Girls are afraid of not being able to get a boyfriend and have started defining themselves as a sexual object. Dr Newman said that girls had always played dress ups in their mothers’ clothes but this trend was different. He proceeds that new generation is being exposed to adult concepts in an unprecedented way and at the age when they are not ready to comprehend these concepts. Children lack self-confidence. They feel they do not live up to these concepts, making them think that they are worse than their peers. Depression and anxiety among children is on an unprecedented rise.

Child advocate Julie Gale startled to find bras for the three year olds on sale at one of Target stores. In its defense, Target spokesperson said that it was up to parents whether to buy the bras.

Mother of three young children Luisa Franco said that she was shocked at how children are being turned into sex objects at such an early age. Franco’s six-year-old daughter showed her a tiny bra, asking the mother to buy it for her. Ms Franco said she wouldn’t let her child wear a bra at this age. Her husband John Valastro said marketing people are robbing children of their childhood. He said children were growing up much too fast now because there were so many things available to them to turn them into “mini-adults”. He is horrified by all stuff available to children now, bras, cosmetics. They see these things at school and come home and tell “such and such wears this or has that”. But they are just kids!

And how do you think, are our children really growing up MUCH TOO fast or parents forgot what they were like as kids and how they wanted to grow up fast and are just painting the devil blacker than he is?

Source of the image: flickr.com/photos/fixe.

Experts, however, warned that the health risk for women may be even higher if they refrain from antidepressants.

Researchers analyzed the health condition of 1,370 babies born by antidepressant takers and compared the data with over 400,000 babies born by mothers who did not take any.

They found that the frequency of underdeveloped tissue that separates parts of the heart was at 0.9 per cent in the first group and 0.5 per cent in the second. Heart defect in babies whose mothers took more than one different antidepressants was found in 2.1 per cent of cases.

Researchers calculated that every 246th mother who took antidepressants at earlier stages of pregnancy may have a baby with heart defect, from minor blood vessel problems to the absence of separating tissue.

They also found the risk increased more with sertaline (Lustral) and citalopram (Celexa). The above-mentioned Prozac had no such effect.

Researchers remind that refraining from the drugs as well as their taking should be done only after consulting with GPs.

Source of the image: flickr.com/photos/antanith.

Other studies hold that if mothers’ depressive condition is left untreated it can also endanger their babies’ health.

With the use of antidepressants by pregnant women growing during the last few years, in many cases doctors stopped the treatment out of concern about a possible harmful influence of the treatment on the unborn baby.

The latest report, the result of co-operation of the American Psychiatric Association and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, urges that certain women go on with taking antidepressant medicine even after becoming pregnant.

That goes for women with suicidal tendencies, those prone to recurrent psychotic episodes or having bipolar disorders. Severe bouts of depression shouldn’t be allowed to go untreated as well.

In cases where expectant mothers show but mild symptoms or no symptoms, the study suggests a course of a gradual going off medication.

Source of the image: flickr.com/photos/dust/.

Furthermore, it may deepen and even become a chronic state of mind.

Generally bouts of moodiness and low spirits in young children are liable to pass quickly leaving no trace. But with some children this condition can persist and manifest itself even when they should be having good time. Such children remain sad and even their games are apt to touch upon deaths and the macabre side of life.

Their reactions are often irritable and they express their irritation by kicking, hitting out or biting.

Their sleep is often troubled and their appetite is noticeably worse compared to other children.

Researchers report that this condition is more frequently observed in the children of families where the mother suffers from chronic or temporary mood disorders caused by a traumatic event in her life.

In other cases such mood disorders may be brought about by some chemical changes in the body.

Source of the image: flickr.com/photos/26816787@N07.

The results of a study among 62 children aged 4-5 years old, presented at the annual Associated Professional Sleep Societies meeting in Seattle, pointed that a day regimen with the room for an afternoon nap is a good thing for a child’s psyche.

On the other hand, not sleeping in the afternoon is associated with the psyche disturbances in children like hyperactivity, increased anxiety and depressed feelings. Those were exactly the disturbances found in 23% of kids who didn’t sleep in the afternoon.

It is the fact that children, as they reach the age of 4-6 years old, are reluctant to sleep in the afternoon, preferring staying active for resting. So Brian Crosby, the author of the study, encourages the parents to be more insistent as they urge their kids to sleep in the afternoon.

Source of the image: flickr.com/photos/drh.