Recognize signs of depression right from the first grade of the second grade

The new study shows signs of depression, the most common form of mental health disorder in the United States, that can be identified right from the start of the second grade - much earlier than people think.

A study conducted by the University of Washington on nearly 1,000 school-aged children in grades 2 through 8 produced five different results groups on the development of signs of depression in adolescents.

'Some children say they don't have many friends, feel more lonely and anxious than their peers,' said James Mazza, a professor of educational psychology at the University of Washington, who led the study. know. 'They reveal that they find themselves different from a normal, carefree 2nd grade child.'

'We can begin to develop mental health profiles for children in 2nd grade. This is very important because children with early symptoms of depression are at higher risk for problems. Mental health in adolescence, this is the published result of many other scientific works. We want to reaffirm to parents that everyone, including children, may feel sad or depressed, but this does not mean that they will become depressed. feel later. We are trying to understand how depression starts and develops in children so that there are preventive measures for them, ' Mazza said.

This new study is based on children's self-assessment as well as reports from parents and teachers in the Child Health Improvement survey - a large-scale, long-term survey to consider delivery health and behavioral issues in children within 10 Pacific Northwest suburban schools.Survey of depression currently uses data from 511 boys and 440 girls, of whom 81% are white.

Children depressed (Photo: s5.60s.com.vn)

The study has identified 5 groups of results about depression in children; in which 56% of children do not have or show signs of depression at the age of 2nd grade. Information about 5 specific target groups is as follows:

• The results are low and stable - 26% : these children have no or almost no signs of depression in the second grade, and the rate of signs does not change over time until the fifth grade. 8.

• Low but increasing - 30% : Children in this group also have no or almost no signs of depression in the second grade, but the number of signs increases slightly in the following years.

• Moderate & stable - 24% : This group has few signs but a slight increase in the number of signs in the following years.

• Moderate & variable - 11%: These children started with more manifestations than the above group and the number of expressions increased gradually over the elementary years, but then decreased in the middle school level.

• Moderate & progressive - 9%: This group in grade 2 had the same symptoms as the above group, but the symptoms did not decrease but continued to increase in middle school.

The study identified risk factors related to depression in boys and girls. For boys, behavioral problems and attention indicate which group they belong to. In girls, anxiety is an early risk factor. The study also reaffirmed previous results that show differences between the sexes in signs of depression, in which women exhibit more signs than men in the 8th grade.

'Children are the most reliable source of information about feelings and emotions within themselves. But also need a multi-dimensional view. Collecting data from parents, teachers, and children to identify early risk of depression is a good way to detect cases that may encounter mental health problems later on, Said Mazza.