Fourth Edition, September 2011

How long do they last?
While some mood problems may go away on their own, untreated mood problems can become a life-long 
struggle. There are eff ective treatments available for mood problems, including medication and therapies.
What causes mood problems?
A number of things may lead to symptoms of depression in children and adolescents: they can be trig-
gered by a sad or painful event like a death in the family, can develop in children who observe constant 
fi ghting between their parents, and can also result from parental neglect or abuse. However, the ten-
dency toward more serious kinds of mood problems can also be passed along genetically, likely because 
chemicals in the brain that help regulate mood are not working properly. The combination of a genetic 
pre-disposition and a triggering event may bring about the depression.

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Making a Diff erence: An Educators’ Guide to Child and Youth Mental Health Problems
www.cymhin.ca
D 2
Mood Problems
What’s normal and what’s not?
There is a diff erence between feeling sad and being depressed. Sadness tends to be felt over a short per-
iod of time and is related to a specifi c event; it has milder eff ects on one’s day-to-day life.
Some of the more common signs a child or youth may be 
struggling with depression

Prolonged sadness that persists for 
weeks or months

Low energy and loss of interest in 
activities

Low self-esteem

Isolated, quiet

Irritable

Defi ant or disruptive

Fidgety or restless, distracting other 
students

Negative talk about self, the world, or 
the future

Excessive crying over relatively small 
things

Frequent complaints of aches and pains

Social isolation/diffi
culty sustaining 
friendships

Avoids interacting with other children

Diffi
culty thinking, concentrating or 
remembering

Diffi
culty getting things done, such as 
homework

Diffi
culty commencing tasks, staying on 
task or refusal to attempt tasks

Sits in the back of the classroom and 
does not participate

Refusal to do schoolwork, and general 
noncompliance with rules

Responds with, “I don’t know”, “It’s not 
important”, or “No one cares, anyway” 
when asked about incomplete work

Showing up late or skipping school

Frequent absence from school

Drop in grades