Is it possible to imagine that a small child experiences depression? It appears that even heavy depressions can be observed in suckling children. Fist, depression in children was described by Ren Shpits in 1945 on the basis of watching children at boarding schools in which, after separation with the mother, significant changes were observed: a poor intake of food, high incidence of disease, indifferent attitude to surroundings and a delay of mental and physical development down to such conditions when the child ran into prostration, refused to take a meal and, eventually, died. Spitz named the last condition as “hospitalizm”. Similar manifestations can be observed today not only at boarding school, hospitals, but also at other institutions where the relation between the mother and the child is low.Shpits called such a depression as an anaclitic depression.

The term “anaclisizm” is derived from the Greek “ana-klinein” which means “support for”. It is a question of “support for” the mother or a person who could replace her. The mother satisfies physical needs of the child, gives it a regular experience of satisfaction of its needs and she also answers emotional inquiries of the child: calming, talking, forming emotions that are constantly observed in the child. Thus, the mother allows the child to discover the world gradually. The child directs to the mother all the emotions, feelings, inclinations, either positive or destructive, aggressive. The mother accepts them, “processes, neutralizes” and returns to the child in an already symbolized shape. She can caress, console, and remove a pressure off the child.

In situations, when the mother is absent physically, there is nobody to carry out the role of “an emotional support”, even if physical needs of the child are satisfied, all emotions, inclinations are applied to the child itself and appear destructive as the thinking process in a small child is not yet generated. The child cannot cope with this impact and as a result a real depression is developed. In case of “hospitalizm” that is a total emotional deficiency; changes in mentality of the child are irreversible.

In children of the preschool and school age, depression is revealed by behavioral disruptions, conflictness, absence of interests, motives, decreased progress at school, frequent somatic diseases, and here children almost never complain of grief or bad mood.

In teens, to a greater or lesser degree, depression is experienced by anybody. It is the age of an identity crisis, disillusion, disappointments in parents and ideals. Any, even an insignificant hurt can cause expressive reactions by virtue of mental instability. But, here, it is necessary to be especially cautious with diagnoses as for this age an abnormality is normal.
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