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Understanding Children and Young People’s Mental Health

Read Sarah’s story below to see how the signs of her depression gradually came to
light when she started to talk about her feelings more.

Case Study: Sarah

‘I was 15. They took me to see the doctor because they thought I
was a bit down and I had started cutting. I hadn’t noticed much,
cutting made me feel better and I just felt they were having a
bit of a go really. It was only when I started to talk more, that I
started to realise how much I had changed, I used to be happy,
not all the time, but I couldn’t now – not like I used to.’

‘I was falling out with my teachers – they said I wasn’t getting on
with work and it made me cross. I was trying but I just couldn’t get
on with it, not like I did in Year 8 and 9. The doctor said it could be
my concentration. I hadn’t thought of that, I just thought I
was thick.’

‘Then when he asked about other things, I started to see, I
couldn’t sleep properly and didn’t feel like going out to play
football anymore. I said it was just boring, but as I started to
feel better, I did play again, and I think saying it was boring was
all part of my depression. That was the same with my family, I
mean you don’t get on all time do you and they are still a pain
sometimes now, but when I was depressed it was like we
were always arguing, I just couldn’t talk to them and they
just wound me up.’

‘It wasn’t till they talked to me and things started to change, that
was when I looked back and realised how depressed I was.’
Source: Mental Health and Growing Up Factsheet: Depression in
children and young people: information for young people:
Royal College of Psychiatrists

The process of rapid physical and emotional change during puberty can result in
moodiness and anxiety leading to depression, which may then be misunderstood or
misdiagnosed as an effect of puberty.

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