Depression symptoms in Man,Women and Children

Compared to women, men with depression are more likely to experience low energy, irritability, and anger, sometimes to the point of inflicting pain on others. Men with depression are also more likely to exhibit sleep problems, a loss of interest in work or hobbies, and substance abuse. They may work excessively and engage in more risky behaviors when struggling with depression, committing suicide four times as often as women with this condition. Despite these difficulties, men tend to be much less likely to receive treatment for any condition, particularly depression.

Depression symptoms in women

In comparison to men, women tend to develop depression at an earlier age and have depressive episodes that last longer and tend to recur more often. Women may more often have a seasonal pattern to depression, as well as symptoms of atypical depression (for example, eating or sleeping too much, carbohydrate craving, weight gain, a heavy feeling in the arms and legs, mood worsening in the evenings, and trouble getting to sleep). Also, women with depression more often have anxiety, eating disorders, and dependent personality compared to men.

Perimenopause, which is the time of life immediately before and after menopause, can last as long as 10 years. While perimenopause and menopause are normal stages of life, perimenopause increases the risk of depression during that time. Also, women who have had depression in the past are five times more likely to develop major depression during perimenopause.

Depression symptoms and signs in children

Since babies, toddlers, and preschoolchildren are usually unable to express their feelings in words, they tend to show sadness in their behaviors. For example, they may become withdrawn, resume old, younger behaviors (regress), or fail to thrive. School-age children might regress in their school performance, develop physical complaints, anxiety, or irritability. Interestingly, some children may try more to please others when depressed as a way of compensating for their low self-esteem. Therefore, their good grades and apparently good relationships with others may make depression harder to recognize.

Children and adolescents with depression may also experience the classic symptoms as adults as described above, but they may exhibit other symptoms instead of or in addition to those symptoms, including the following:

• Poor school performance
• Persistent boredom
• Frequent complaints of physical problems such as headaches and stomachaches
• Some of the classic "adult" symptoms of depression may also be more or less obvious during childhood compared to the actual emotions of sadness, such as a change in eating or sleeping patterns. (Has the child or teen lost or gained weight in recent weeks or months? Does he or she seem more tired than usual?)