With most Jamaican children overcome with excitement surrounding the season's festivities, two members of the local medical community have issued a warning to watch out for depression among the youth.

"It's Christmas time and for many persons, even though it's a joyful season for a number of us, it's also a time of sorrow, maybe because of some anniversary issues, or family problems that are more pronounced around Christmas time".

Dr Lowe-De La Haye and her colleague, Dr Garth Lipps, have found that 10 per cent of Jamaican children between the age of 14 and 16 suffer from depression.

Diagnosed

What was even more worrying for the clinical physicians at the University Hospital of the West Indies is that Jamaican boys account for 60 per cent of the children diagnosed as depressed.

"Nine per cent of our adolescents in high school, which is fourth and fifth forms, were quite depressed," Lowe-De La Haye told a mini-symposium organised by the Jamaica Association of Catholic Doctors recently.

She warned that depression would affect 3.5 per cent of all children between the age of 10 and 19.

According to Lowe-De La Haye, irritability, lack of concentration and disinterest, which are all symptoms of depression, can later translate into social problems which could develop into a personality disorder in adult life.

Problems

"The majority of kids we diagnose with depression have actually come with another problem, like beha-vioural problems, sexual abuse and mainly conduct disorder, but soon you realise it's because they are reacting to something that they can't control," Lowe-De La Haye said.

Although there is no official statistics for the number of depressed children who have committed suicide in Jamaica, in the United States (US) it is the fourth leading cause of death in the 15 to 19 age group.

In the US, an average of 22 per cent of depressed children commit suicide annually.

Against that background, Lowe-De La Haye expressed concern about the lack of attention being paid to depression in children.

Severe stress

"A number of kids I have seen at the University Hospital do what we call self-medicate. They can't afford antidepressants and they don't know what to buy in the pharmacy, so they start to use drugs, because the drugs make them feel better for the time being."

Data obtained from the National Council on Drug Abuse 2006 survey confirmed that youngsters were increasingly under severe stress and anxiety as a result of a number of social factors.

Statistics from the survey revealed that 70 per cent of youngsters experimented with alcohol. To a lesser extent, Jamaican teenagers experimented with marijuana, cigarettes and cocaine.

What is depression?

Depression is characterised by a sad mood, loss of appetite and disturbed sleep, and can be precipitated by environmental constraints, genetics and biological factors.

The symptoms differ in children who, despite showing signs of severe boredom or being in an irritable mood, unlike adults, can still enjoy pleasurable things.