Mood Disorders in Children

Written by HealthyPlace.com Staff Writer

online conference transcript

Trudy Carlson author of several books on depression and suicide, including "The Life of a Bipolar Child: What Every Parent and Professional Needs to Know," is the guest speaker.

David is the HealthyPlace.com moderator.

The people in blue are audience members.

BEGINNING

David: Good Evening. I'm David Roberts. I'm the moderator for tonight's conference. I want to welcome everyone to HealthyPlace.com. We have only been open for 2 weeks. This is our first online conference. Our conference tonight is on "Mood Disorders in Children". Our guest is Trudy Carlson, author of several books on depression and suicide including The Life of a Bipolar Child: What Every Parent and Professional Needs to Know. She holds a masters degree and has taught many classes on the university level including child, adolescent and developmental psychology; the psychology of the exceptional child and personality and mental hygiene. Her son suffered bipolar depression,

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ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) and an anxiety disorder, and while still a teenager died by suicide.

I want to welcome you to the HealthyPlace.com site, Trudy. I'm wondering, with all the education and training you had, were you surprised by your son's tragic death?

Trudy Carlson: I will answer the first question. Like every other parent, I didn't expect my son to die. I knew he was very ill, but he was seeing a good psychiatrist and we assumed he would eventually be well. Depression is like every other disease and unfortunately some people, who are very seriously ill, die from their illness.

David: Your son had a mixture of mood disorders- bipolar, anxiety, adhd. What are the most important things a parent needs to be aware of when dealing with these types of disorders?

Trudy Carlson: Ben said that my understanding that it wasn't his fault was the most important thing for him. Bipolar kids can have a number of social problems and learning problems which makes school very difficult.

David: I think it's a pretty common feeling among people who suffer from psychiatric disorders that somehow they are to blame for what's going on. And that furthers their depression. What can be done to help bipolar children through these social and learning difficulties?

Trudy Carlson: Right, depression in children is marked by low self-esteem. Because they have difficulty with concentration, they often have trouble achieving. This further hurts self-esteem. Children need support. If they can get it from their parents and their school, it helps a lot. But this means that parents and teachers need to learn as much as they can about childhood depression. I am a strong believer that since depression and anxiety as so common among children and it interferes with school achievement, all children should undergo a self-completed screening twice a year.

David: Trudy, here are a few audience questions:

Noele: What advice would be on the top of your list to tell our kids in their hours of need how to deal with the lack of a social life?

Trudy Carlson: That is a tough question. My own son often felt very uncomfortable unless I was there to help him. If the youngster can get medical help that reduces his depression, he will gain self-esteem and this should help. I think the most important thing is to give him a since of hope. I think many of these children need to be in a group where social skills are taught. Parents may have to find other parents to set up such a group.

lotsoff: How much should the parents push the schools to mainstream their "special" children?

David: While Trudy is typing, if you haven't been on the main HealthyPlace.com site yet, I invite you to take a look. There's over 9000 pages of content.

Trudy Carlson: I don't know if all mainstreaming works that well. I think that the parents and the child need to think about what is right for them. Since anxiety is a common disorder that accompanies both unipolar and bipolar disorder, if a mainstream classroom is too anxiety-arousing for the child, it isn't clear that it is helpful.

specialk: Miss Carlson, I have a three year old grandson that is having problems at school and to me is exhibiting signs of depression and or bipolar. What should be done at this point?

Trudy Carlson: Many depressed children do well in regular classrooms when they have a teacher who understands they need support.

lotsoff2: Bravo, bravo!!! So many parents want for themselves and miss what is best for their child...on the mainstreaming issue.

Trudy Carlson: If you can find a doctor who will listen carefully to all of your concerns, you have taken a major step forward. Since most bipolar children have the symptoms of ADHD and, in fact, have more symptoms of ADHD than kids who have this disorder but aren't bipolar, this should help all of you in the process of diagnosis. Mood stabilizers, such as lithium and anticonvulsants, are often prescribed. You may need to go to a specialist to get a final diagnosis.