ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the importance of taking a broad systemic view of "childhood depression", which sees it as lodged in the contextual relationships that surround children and their families. "In a clinical sense the term 'depression' denotes an illness characterized by a change of mood that is persistent and sufficiently severe for it to be labelled a disorder". Different theoretical models posit diverse views about the causes of childhood depression—including trauma and adversity, loss, cognitive deficits, interpersonal difficulties, and dysfunctional family relationships—and will espouse a variety of interventions to relieve the symptoms. Depression, on the other hand, has the tendency to silence its sufferers and cuts down opportunities for the easy flow of communication. Using ideas from narrative therapy can also be a powerful antidote to the disempowering effects of depression and can help to keep our souls alive.
