The last three to four decades witnessed a dramatic increase in the number of children affected by depression. Teenagers girls are more affected by depression than the boys. In childhood the chances of being affected by this health problem is equal among boys and girls. Repeated attacks of depression at this tender age may affect the whole development of the child with an increased chance of being affected by Bipolar Disorder when they grow up.

The symptoms and signs of depression in children are almost similar to that of the symptoms shown by an adult depressed person. Most of the children affected by depression show the symptoms or the feelings they experience through their behavior as they do not have the vocabulary to express these feelings before others. These children are found to be more prone to the problems like phobias, anxieties and somatic complaints. They may also develop behavioral problems as a result of depression.

The earlier symptoms of depression expressed by children at young elementary age include their serious appearance and dispassionate attitude towards others. They may become less bouncy or spontaneous in their reactions to situations. He may start being involved in self destructive activities or say negative things about himself. They may appear unhappy without any reason. These children may also complain about physical problems such as head ache, stomach ache and tiredness. Most of the children affected by depression tend to spend a lot of time in bed but sleeping badly. Major changes in weight and loss of interest in their favorite hobbies can also be an indication of the presence of this health disorder in children of tender ages.

The beginning of the problem in older children can be detected from their disruptive behaviors, academic decline, irritability and suicidal talk. Such children normally find it difficult to get along with his friends and family members.

The causes of childhood depression vary from person to person. The commonly identified causes of childhood depression include inconsistent parenting, bitter or stressful life experiences and negative attitude towards life and the world. It is also related to the family history of the child. Children coming from the family of a strong depression history are at the higher risk of developing this health disorder when compared to the other children.

Children affected with depression are likely to develop psychological disorders such as anxiety and drug abuse. Most of these children start using drugs after the first episode of depression. It can also lead to increased attempts of suicide on the part of the child. If not identified in time, depression will affect all the aspects of their life including their education and family relationships.

It is said that a large number of men, approximately 6 million, are affected by depression every year in the United States. Research is being conducted in this field to understand the differences between male and female depression. Whether there exists any actual difference between the symptoms shown by men and women when affected by depression is a controversy yet to be resolved.

Comparative studies of the common symptoms of depression appear in men and women indicate the importance of adopting different treatment methods for male and female depression patients. It is a fact that male depression patients do have a tendency to end their life than the patients who belong to the opposite sex. It is also true that men are always in need of special training to cope with situation when affected by depression than the women.

Male depression is not always identified in time due to various reasons. The reasons that prevent them to identify the symptoms of depression include their reluctance to discuss the symptoms of depression and hiding the symptoms from public. Most of the men who experience the symptoms of depression take it as a threat to their masculinity and resist mental illness treatment for this reason. They will try to mask the symptoms of depression until it becomes evident. The worries about stigma that possibly damage their family and professional life keep them hiding the symptoms they experience due to the attack of depression.

We are not about the physiological reasons that make a man express the symptoms of depression in a different way. Signs and symptoms that commonly appear in a male depression patient include violent behavior, over involvement in the work, risky behavior such as high speed driving, excess consumption of alcohol and frequent thoughts of ending their life.

Most of the men affected by this health problem seem to be restless and agitated with out any valid cause. When the female depression patient finds fault in themselves, male patients show a tendency to blame others for the suffering they undergo.

Depression is a problem that can be associated with male menopause. Almost forty percent of the male who face their menopause experience the problems in sustaining erection, exhaustion, mood swings and increased irritability or intolerance. But when compare to women, the symptoms of depression in men are not easy to be recognized by others due to their tendency to pretend to be strong and denying all the problems they experience in their middle age.

It is very important to provide the patients of depression the right treatment in time. If diagnosed in time, this health problem can be cured completely without inviting complications to the life of the patient.