Experts talks
In children aged 3 months to 2 years old, factors generating emotional distress can overwhelm parents, especially mothers. They can have fears regarding the way they should care for their little ones, the dietary plan they should follow and, more generally, the way to deal with the current situation.
For this age category, another important issue is the lack of restful sleep. Children are directly affected by the unpleasant symptoms of atopic outbreaks: intense itching (it is all the more difficult to manage in babies, as they cannot scratch or communicate what is bothering them), burning sensations, increased sensitivity to touching certain textures, and frequent interruption of sleep. Children become agitated, they cry a lot, stress levels rise for all family members, and depression may occur in parents (rather than in the affected children).
In children aged between 4 and 10, as well as in teenagers, issues of a social nature may occur, in addition to physical distress. They may often have low self-esteem, develop an inferiority complex, have a reduced ability to deal with stress, avoid contact with other people, have difficulty controlling their emotions, or develop social phobias. They may also be extremely bothered by worries that the affected skin is visible – many people may think that their condition is contagious. With this background, depression may occur in children of this age.
We must not overlook the fact that one of the causes of atopic dermatitis is low immunity, irrespective of age. Although many people fail to see the link between one’s emotional state and low immunity levels, the explanation lies in the fact that emotional distress decreases immunity, and high stress and anxiety levels are linked to a significant decrease in the skin’s ability to heal.
This is why it is important for patients to allow enough time to relax and rest – holidays in areas with a warm, dry climate can often be beneficial.
The patient’s emotional balance is very important in managing the disease. In most cases, it is necessary to seek treatment in order to decrease and manage anxiety or depression.
The various symptom manifestations in children suffering from depression, and the differences from those in adults, often hide children’s suffering. The clinical manifestation of depression in children varies according to age, and the cognitive and emotional development of the child. As a consequence, there is no particular age when depression occurs, as it can affect both children and adults at any time.
Anxiety is a sign of actual personal suffering, and may severely impact the life of children, decreasing their school performance and affecting their friendships and family interactions. Furthermore, children suffering from anxiety are at high risk of becoming anxious adults. When they become adults, this anxiety may impact their ability to work, and their relationships with family members and people around them, and this may leave the adult in a severe state of dysfunction.
Psychotherapy sessions may help mitigate the negative perception of the self, as well as the behaviours linked to such cognitive mechanisms (low self-esteem, perfectionism, impulsiveness, social anxiety), which are frequent in patients suffering from atopic dermatitis. In the last stage of therapy, the psychologist will prepare a plan to manage any further emotional relapse, so that the patient’s life is not affected in such cases.
