An investigation was carried out on a group of students,
7-10 years old, aimed to evidence the presence of same of common symptoms of depression in childhood. 
Results reported demonstrated that more than 50% of the
sample was often sad, nervous, anxious and suffers of sleeping
disorders.
The need was stressed of on early and correct diagnosis
of infantile depression to sustain the child’s development and to
give adequate treatment

ALO PICCOLO

MT BENIGNO

PROVENZANO, Vincenzo

SIDOTI, Enza

TRINGALI, Giuseppe

VCAROLLO

English

Archivio istituzionale della ricerca - Università di Palermo

RIASSUNTOE’ stata condotta una indagine empirica su un gruppo dibambini di età compresa tra i 7 e i 10 anni con lo scopo di  son-dare la presenza/assenza di alcuni dei più comuni sintomidepressivi nei bambini (tristezza, anedonia, tendenza al pianto,chiusura sociale, disturbi del sonno, etc).I risultati hanno mostrato che più della metà del campio-ne qualche volta si sente triste, fa pensieri preoccupanti, sisente nervoso, ha disturbi del sonno, etc.Gli Autori auspicano la necessità di una precoce e corret-ta diagnosi della depressione infantile al fine di salvaguardarela salute e lo sviluppo del bambino e fornirgli aiuto, sostegnoed un adeguato trattamento.Key words: depressione, età evolutiva, diagnosi precoceSUMMARYAn investigation was carried out on a group of students,7-10 years old, aimed to evidence the presence of same of com -mon symptoms of depression in childhood. Results reported demonstrated that more than 50% of thesample was often sad, nervous, anxious and suffers of sleepingdisorders.The need was stressed of on early and correct diagnosisof infantile depression to sustain the child’s development and togive adequate treatment.Parole chiave: Depression, age of development, diagnosis           Acta Medica Mediterranea, 2004, 20: 135CHILDHOOD DEPRESSION: A DESCRIPTIVE STUDY ON AGROUP OF CHILDREN/STUDENTS INPALERMOVALENTINA CAROLLO - VALERIA PROVENZANO - ALESSANDRA LO PICCOLO - ENZA SIDOTI - MARIA TATIANABENIGNOGIUSEPPE TRINGALIUniversità degli Studi di Palermo – Dipartimento di Igiene e Microbiologia – Policlinico - (Direttore: Prof.ssa F. Ajello)[La depressione infantile: uno studio descrittivo su un gruppo di bambini -studenti palermitani]IntroductionDepression is a mood disturb (Dsm IV), it is asoul’s psychic disease which leaves the subject in acontinuous anxiety (Scafidi Fonti G.M., 2001).It is a multifactor (genetic, environmental andphysic factors) and  multi-symptomatic (emotional,cognitive, motivational and physic symptoms)pathology which affects the whole individual andthe psychic and social life, the emotions, beha-viours and thoughts (Ammaniti M., 2001). It consi-sts of a distorted state of mind recognized by sad-ness, lack of interests and hope, loneliness, feelingof fault and shame (Giordano G., 1997).Unfortunately, depression is one of the psychicpathologies which is affecting more and more thesubjects in the age of development (Fassler D.G. –Dumas L.S., 2004); the symptoms of depression, infact, are also frequently observed in children(Bemporad J., 1991).From a survey carried out by the World HealthO rganization in 2001, it has been pointed out thatnowadays one child and one teenager out of fivesuffers from mental disorders and, in particular, thepercentage of depressed Italian under-eighteens isof 7% (www.eduscuola.it).Depression has a remarkable impact on thechild’s life as it causes problems not only at psychiclevel, but also at physical, cognitive, social andaffective level (Ajuriaguerra, De J., 1984).   Such pathology may also determine perfor-mance problems at school and, in the most seriouscases, also suicide and attempted suicide (Orbach I,1991); therefore, the early diagnosis has a signifi-cant preventive importance as it aims at modifyingthose aspects which could result in steady psycho-pathologic state (Scafidi Fonti G.M., 2001).The depressed children are only partially iden-tified, depression is often underestimated byparents, teachers and relatives (Stark K., 1995); it isnecessary, therefore, to strengthen the initiatives inorder to underline, evaluate and pay early attentionto the child’s mental disturb (Fassler D.G. – DumasL.S., 2004).     Materials and methodsThis research has been based upon a question-naire. The approach is descriptive as the survey’saim is not to formulate a depression diagnosis in theobserved children.The survey’s sample consists of 187children/students, 91 males (49% of the sample)and 96 females (51% of the sample), between 7 and10 years of a Primary School in Palermo. It hasbeen decided to carry out the survey in a school as auseful laboratory to identify  the child’s psychologi-cal disturb and, first of all, the depression (Stark K,1995); the school, in fact, is the privileged place toobserve the way how the child yells or conceals theuneasiness.   A questionnaire has been handed out to thesample, consisting of ten multiple-choice-answeritems; the answers (never, sometimes, often,always) are listed so that they indicate the fre-quency and seriousness of each symptom. Everyquestion is aimed at testing the presence or absenceof a specific depressive symptom; the symptoms ofdepression have been taken out from DSM IV(Diagnostic and Statistic Handbook of MentalDisturbs). Table 1 shows the symptoms examinedin each question).We have asked the children to choose the bestanswer for themselves according to their feelingswhich describe better their health state. Most itemsconcern the thoughts and feelings area rather thanbehaviour.ResultsBy analysing the questionnaire’s (Do you feellike not going to school?), 66% of the samplesometimes does not feel like going to school, whe-reas 9% likes to go (Chart 1).From the second question (Do you feel sad orunhappy?) it stands to reason that a rather high per-centage of children sometimes (61%) or often(16%) feels sad (Chart 2). The third item (Do worrying thoughts occur toyou?), is one of the most representative of the resear-ch. The children who have often worrying thoughts(24%) are almost a quarter of the sample and theones who have sometimes are more than the half(52%). Therefore, the children who are never wor-ried are a very low percentage (Chart 3).  The results of the fourth question (Do youhappen to be nervous?) show that half the sample(51%) is sometimes nervous, whereas the childrenwho are never represent only 12%. The fifth (Do you feel tired or weak physical-ly?), the sixth (Do you feel like not doinganything?), the eighth (At school, does it occur to136 V. Carollo - V. Provenzano et Al N. Question Examined Symptoms1 Anedonia2 Sadness3 Anxiety4 Nervousness5 Physical uneasiness6 Apathy7 Low self estimation8 Difficult concentration9 Sleeping disorders10 Social isolationQuestion no. 1: Do you feel like not going to school?Question no. 2: Do you feel sad orunhappy?Question no. 3: Do worrying thoughts occurto you?you that you do not concentrate on the teacher’sexplanation or on your homework?) and the tenthquestion (Do you play with the other children?),unlike the others, present positive data.In fact, the physical disorders, apathy, difficultconcentration and social isolation, which are thesymptoms examined in these questions, show verylow percentages of presence (Charts 5, 6, 8 and 10).Chart 10 is representative proving clearly thatalmost three quarters of the observed children(71%), always play with the children of the sameage group, whereas only 2% never does.     The seventh item (When you are tested andyou know you have studied, are you afraid of get-ting wrong?) shows that the percentage of the chil-dren who are sometimes afraid of getting wrong is38%, whereas the one of the children who are neverafraid of it is 27% (Chart 7). As it is shown in Chart 9, the ninth question(When you go to bed, have you got difficulties tofall asleep and/or have you got bad dreams and/ordo you often wake up?), shows, compared to theprevious ones, some homogeneous percentages butit is interesting to reflect on the fact that the chil-dren who have always sleeping disorders (26%) arealmost as much as the ones who suffer from it(22%) (Chart 9). Childhood depression:................... 137Question no. 4: Do you happen to be nervous?Question no. 5: Do you feel tired orweak pysically?Question no. 6. Do you feel like not doing anything?Question no. 7: When you are tested and you know youhave studied, are you afraid of getting wrong?Question no. 8: At school, does it occurto you that you donot concentrate on the teacher’s explanation or on yourhomework?Question no.9: When you go to bed, have you got diffi-culties to fall asleep and/or have you got bad dreamsand/ordo you often wake up?Question no. 10: Do you play with the otherchildren?Conclusions The picture by analysing the research’s data  isparticularly interesting. More than half coniugant ofthe sample sometimes shows depressed or dyspho-ric mood, does not show any interest in the dailyactivities, feels nervous and has a negative vision oflife. By identifying the signs and the depressivesymptoms early it allows to prevent the chronicdisturb. It has to be pointed out that the childhooddepression, if adequately diagnosed and treated,may present favourable clinic results (Fassler D.G.– Dumas L.S., 2004), as it responds positively bothto the psychological therapies and, in some cases,to the pharmacologic treatments, if necessary asso-ciated (Papolos D. – Papolos J. 1999). It is neces-sary, therefore, to promote psycho-pedagogic inter-ventions of support. The problem’s complexityrequires more attention from professionals and not,and a better coordination among the territory’s ser-vices (Poggi A.M., 2002).An integrated approach is preferred focusingon the individual’s needs (Cardini N. – Molteni L.2003). A multidimensional and flexible treatment isdesirable based on a therapeutic network where thesocial-psycho-pedagogic group collaborates withthe family and the school in support of the depres-sed child. The interventions have to be individuali-zed and based on the direct knowledge of thesubject, his/her experience and life environment.  Bibliografia1) Ajuriaguerra, De J., Manuale di psichiatria del bambi -no, Masson, Milano, 1987.2) Ajuriaguerra, De J., – Marcelli D. Psicopatologia delbambino, Masson, Milano, 1984.3) American Psychiatric A s s o c i a t i o n , Linee guida per iltrattamento dei disturbi psichici dell’infanzia e dell’a -dolescenza, Masson, Milano, 2004.4) American Psychiatric Association, Manuale diagnosti -co e statistico dei disturbi mentali, (DSM-IV), Masson,Milano, 1996.5) Ammaniti M., (a cura di), Manuale di psicopatologiadell’infanzia, Raffaello Cortina Editore, Milano, 2001.6 ) Bemporad J., La depressione grave e lieve: l’orientamen -to psicoterapeutico, Feltrinelli Editore, Milano, 1991.7) Bergeret J., La depressione e stati-limite. 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CHILDHOOD DEPRESSION: A DESCRIPTIVE STUDY ON A GROUP OF CHILDREN/STUDENTS IN PALERMO

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CHILDHOOD DEPRESSION: A DESCRIPTIVE STUDY ON A GROUP OF CHILDREN/STUDENTS IN PALERMO

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