In order to explain why it is important to detect the emotional symptoms of depression, you need to understand the three main functions of emotions. First, emotions provide children, and adults, with the ability to adapt and survive. Without emotions, you wouldn't know how to interpret events around you and how to react to them.

A second function involves regulating information. For example, if a child perceives that he is liked, he will seek positive affirmation from others. A child who perceives himself negatively will tend to behave in a negative fashion. Communication is the third function. Emotions express feelings and needs.

Birth to Age Three

Before the age of three, crying jags are an expression of either anger, anxiety, or dissatisfaction. Some theorists believe that this type of crying also can be an expression of fear and insecurity. When not crying, look for a lack of interest in others, especially other children, and little to no facial expression. Since this is an age where emotions cannot be expressed verbally, you'll need to fine-tune your ability to interpret the body language of your child.

Ages Three to Five

Between three and five, emotions are still expressed primarily through acting out. A child might refuse to go to day care or to another place they previously couldn't wait to attend. Extreme clinginess and a refusal to interact with others indicate some sort of problem, and again, you may not always know what it is.

Again, you may hear about frequent tummy aches or another ailment. Some children may voice vague emotional complaints such as being sad or being scared. That might be all the explanation you get, which can be frustrating to decipher further.

Ages Six to 12

Those kids between six and twelve are finally getting to where they can actually tell you that they are sad because of a certain event or circumstance. If they are mad or scared, they can label the emotion and provide more of a specific explanation. They will express feelings of poor self-esteem and negative thoughts.

Many times, a child will say that she believes “something is wrong” because she is feeling badly. In this case, probing further is crucial to determine just what is happening. Other red flags are either excessive questions about death or the actual verbal expression of wanting to die.

Adolescence

If you have an adolescent, you know personally the extreme anger a teen can inspire when you ask him a question. The response? A shrug, a roll of the eyes, or the ever-popular “I don't know.” When he does talk, he might verbalize feelings that are overly critical of himself and others or say that he hates himself. Another teen will say he feels guilty, but when asked why he won't have any reason. Again, discussions about death or comments about suicide and wanting to die should be taken seriously.

Although teenagers are supposed to be able to communicate their emotions, you are risking disappointment if you think your teen is going to routinely come to you and tell you he's feeling badly in a direct way. The majority of teens do not wish to bring attention to themselves and often have no desire to talk to their parents, believing them not able to understand what they are going through.

Watching for out-of-character and extreme changes in behavior in your children and adolescents will be critical to determining whether they are depressed or are actually just being kids.