[Medical Q&A] Why do children still smile when they are depressed?

Author: Wu Meitong Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center

Reviewer: Cha Caihui, Chief Physician, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center

"Smiling depression" is not a clinical diagnosis, but a popular term. It means that a person with depression hides his or her depressed side with a smiling mask, making people think that he or she is living a happy life, making the depressive symptoms more difficult to detect. Because most people have a stereotype about depression, they think that children with depression are depressed and have no interest in life. But in fact, these are just one of the symptoms of depression, and not every depressed child is pessimistic.

Many adults are reluctant to show their negative emotions in front of others, so as not to give people the impression of weakness or become a burden to others. As for children, they also have various reasons for choosing to hide their depression. Children may feel that their parents are so strict that they will definitely not believe them, and they feel that it is impossible to solve the problem; family members are usually very busy at work and rarely have the opportunity to get along and chat together. Children are often alone, so they are used to hiding their worries in their hearts and pretending to be happy in front of others. Sometimes, when children show pessimistic emotions in their expressions or behaviors, they will be asked by people around them, but after being asked, there is no effective way to solve the problem. Over time, children will feel that it is better to hide their worries in their hearts and not let anyone know, at least they will not feel more upset because of being "asked". Many times, children are irritable, easily lose their temper, have difficulty concentrating in class, have reduced learning efficiency, and have lower grades. They are not told to their parents until their classmates or teachers find scratches on their wrists at school.