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Feeling Blue

Depression and Special Needs

By Judy Lavin

Inability to make decisions or concentrate

Forgetfulness

Guilty feelings and low self-esteem

Lack of enthusiasm, poor motivation and low energy

Abusing drugs or alcohol

Continued feelings of discomfort, pain and malaise without a physical basis

Thoughts or talk of killing oneself or focusing on death, particularly as a positive change

Kids with severe disabilities can also suffer from depression. The difference is that their signs of sadness may be subtler. For example, Johnny may not look up or brighten in his usual manner. If that type of mood persists beyond the "normal" period of time, you should contact a professional.

One common way kids with special needs end their lives is by "forgetting" to take their medicines. They "act" as if the problem doesn't exist. They want to be like their vision of typical kids who, they believe, don't take medications. Kids with special needs may also put themselves at peril by positioning themselves in a situation that they know is dangerous to them. For example, an individual may put him or herself at the top of a stairway where he or she knows there's a good chance of getting hurt.

There are things parents and others can do if they suspect a child is depressed. First, recognize that there is a problem. Even a child who is trying to manipulate his environment by talking about suicide or depression should be taken seriously. That child is most likely desperate to find a way to change his life but doesn't see other alternatives. Don't dismiss a child who's talking excessively about death or threatening suicide something is wrong.

If parents, teachers, doctors or caretakers suspect that a child is thinking of harming himself or committing suicide, it's crucial to ask the child if he's considering hurting himself. "Asking someone does not cause a child to hurt himself or take his life," says Northfield, Ill.-based psychiatrist Dr. Neil Fialkow.

If a child is depressed and contemplating suicide, then it's important to take him or her for a psychological evaluation by a competent social worker, psychologist or psychiatrist. "Teenage years may have challenges, but serious suicidal thoughts or threats are not a normal part of those challenges," Dr. Fialkow says.