It's tough explaining a psychological condition or mental illness to a child. Children don't understand why someone might behave strangely, and may feel that they themselves are the cause of the strange behavior. Depression is a particularly common psychological condition, and it often entails intense displays of emotion. Ignoring it or pretending there is nothing wrong will lead the child to draw his own conclusions and may make the situation worse. If someone in your family or inner circle suffers from depression, sit down with your child and explain it in terms that he can understand.
Instructions
1. Tell your child that the depressive patient is sick, as if he had a cough or a cold. Explain that depression makes him feel very sad sometimes and the sadness doesn't go away the way normal sadness does. He may also refuse to eat or have trouble sleeping, and it can be hard for him to talk about what makes him sad. Because he's sick, and not just ordinarily sad, attempts to make him feel better won't always work.
2. Emphasize that the child didn't do anything to make the depressive person sad. Children might feel guilty about it, especially if the depressive person shouted or cried when they were around. Let the child know that it had nothing to do with him, and that he shouldn't feel bad about the depressive person's state.
3. Stress that the person is working hard to get better, and that the child is not responsible for that. Tell the child that the depressive person is seeing a doctor to get better, and if he's on antidepressants, explain that he's taking strong medicine for it as well. It may take time for the depressive patient to feel happier, but he's taking the right steps; helping him to follow those steps is a grown-up's job, not the child's.
4. Remind the child that the depressive person still loves him and will always love him. If you're the person with depression, tell the child he can speak with another adult--your spouse or someone specific who knows the situation and has agreed to take on the responsibility--when you are feeling low. Stress that the child can feel however he likes about the situation and is free to talk about it with you or the other designated adult whenever he needs to.
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