Diverse Diagnostics is a specialist clinic based in Scotland offering a private online depression assessment for children.
Childhood depression is not a life sentence, but it can certainly save a child’s life if you can spot the warning signs and get the right diagnosis and treatment plan early on.
Our comprehensive diagnostic test for depression in children is conducted online by a fully qualified child and adolescent psychiatrist. We will outline what the assessment process will look like for your child’s case during your first appointment and conclude the assessment with a feedback session with the consultant psychiatrist to explain to the patient, parents, and family what the final diagnosis means and what the next steps are for treatment.
You may be uncertain as to whether your child is depressed or if something else is causing these changes in their mood and behaviour. To gain more clarity on the right path to follow, book a free 15-minute consultation with a consultant psychiatrist at Diverse Diagnostics.
Be proactive about your child’s mental health — book a childhood depression assessment with Diverse Diagnostics for a comprehensive diagnosis and treatment plan.
Depression doesn’t only affect adults, but young people too. Whether in adults or in children and adolescents, it is important for us to see it for what it is and without any shame.
There is a huge misconception that depression is just when someone is feeling sad or down and a simple mindset change is all it takes to get out of it. However, when such a sadness is persistent, it becomes so much more than that and affects other parts of the person’s life and overall well being.
While ignoring childhood depression can lead to many risks in the future, there are many solutions to manage and treat children with depression and empower them for better mental health and overall happier, healthier life.
Does your child constantly feel sad, bad-tempered, or hopeless? That may be just one of many depressive symptoms that you can look out for.
Symptoms and signs of depression can vary among children, but the most common are:
Persistent low mood or sadness
Irritability
Decreased interest in things they used to enjoy
Feeling constantly tired
Sleep troubles
Difficulty concentrating
Decreased appetite
Self-harming or suicidal thoughts (or actual self-harm or suicidal behaviour)
There are many other depressive symptoms that can arise in a child’s daily life as well, such as behavioural problems, mood changes, and social isolation. Some may even have physical symptoms such as headaches or stomach aches. A proper depression diagnosis will help the child and the family take action and improve the quality of life of the young person.
A child depression assessment can also rule out or flag other possible causes for certain symptoms, such as anxiety disorder or bipolar disorder.
The causes of depression in children can vary. It can stem from a family history of depression, circumstances in school or family life, or from something else completely.
Common causes or factors that increase the risk of depression in children include:
Different types of family problems
Troubles at school (e.g. bullying or problems with friends)
Any type of ongoing abuse
A family history of any mental health problem
The risk of childhood depression exists for both younger children and older children. It is usually more common in boys under the age of 10, but as children grow up, the statistics show that by the age of 16, girls have a greater incidence of depression. This could be due to the pressures on high school students and other factors.
When the child or young individual has symptoms for at least 2 weeks, parents or carers should try to have a conversation with them about their feelings and seek out medical help (e.g. visiting a healthcare provider or therapy). Visiting a doctor or healthcare provider will let you know whether there is a physical reason for the symptoms and which steps to take next.
Just as you would monitor your child’s physical health when they show symptoms of an illness or ailment, a mental health evaluation should be considered if your child shows continuous depressive symptoms for an extended period of time.
Depression in children is treatable, but for this, an accurate depression diagnosis for children by a trained mental health professional is imperative.
A depression diagnosis will help the parent to support their child better and from a place of understanding. With this, they are better equipped to look out for warning signs before a child might self harm or attempt suicide. While this is a worst case scenario, suicide prevention is vital in severe cases.
A depression diagnosis for children can also differentiate between different mental health disorders so that the child can get the right treatment. For example, major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder may share certain symptoms, but the treatment will be different.
If you believe your child may be struggling with depression, contact our team to book an assessment for a depression diagnosis in Scotland at Diverse Diagnostics.
At Diverse Diagnostics, we offer depression assessments for children and adolescents between the ages of 6 and 18 years.
An evaluation and depression assessment for teenagers or a younger child will include interviews with both the parents/carers and the young person. If needed, standardised screening questionnaires will be used. We may also need information about their behaviour in different environments, such as at school, with their friends, and at home.
It is important to highlight that there is no specific test to diagnose depression. It is a combination of screening tools and the personal information obtained from the interviews that will enable the consultant to make a proper diagnosis.
Treatment options will vary according to each individual case, and the right treatment will be different for each child.
Many children with depression benefit from a combination of medications and therapy. Common antidepressant medications include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) and serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), but not all children will require medication. For mild symptoms, therapy alone can often be effective.
Our consultants have vast experience in treating childhood depression in Glasgow and across Scotland and the UK. They will let you know which is the best approach for your child.
If medical treatment is required, we provide prescriptions only under ‘Shared Care’ with you or your child’s doctor or GP (General Physician). For this, the GP will need to agree prior to the initial medication appointment to provide NHS prescriptions.
The consultant at Diverse Diagnostics will be responsible for all medication reviews and dosage specifications.
At Diverse Diagnostics, we aim to help children, parents, and families who are affected by neurodevelopmental disorders by giving them the support and tools they need to improve their quality of life and manage the disorder with understanding and empathy.
Our team is made up of qualified and experienced mental healthcare professionals and headed by our Managing Director, Dr Jagdish Basra, a Consultant Child Behaviour Psychiatrist and Adolescent Psychiatrist with a patient-centred and family-focused approach to mental health.
When it comes to depression in children, there are solutions, which means there is hope.
Take the first step with a childhood depression diagnosis. Contact us to book an appointment for an online depression assessment for children with Diverse Diagnostics.
Suite 7 Tribune Court,
2 Roman Road,
Bearsden,
Glasgow G61 2SW
