What Is The Impact Of Depression On One's Family And Friends?

— -- Question: What is the impact of depression on one's family and friends?

Answer: When the child or adolescent is depressed, it not only negatively affects them, but it also can have a dramatic negative impact on their family, their parents, their grandparents, their siblings, and also on their friends.

People become extremely worried about them. They don't know how to help them. So not only does the child who's depressed feel helpless, but also those who love and care about the child may feel helpless. They may be so concerned about them in terms of whether or not they're actually going to try to end their life. They may not know how to help them stay more engaged with their peers or with their schoolwork.

And so they may find themselves very focused on the child, very worried about the child, and also sometimes having a hard time feeling really connected to the child, because when people are depressed they often have a hard time interacting with other people.

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