Due to the theme being a difficult one to tackle, and wanting to make it come across as clearly as possible I decided to research into the theme so that I could make it appeal to children in the best possible way. I knew that the story wasn’t going to be the happiest of ones because of the dark theme, but if I could connote the reality of depression through this format I think that it would be successful, while making the visuals creative and exciting for the child to explore further.
When researching into this problem I discovered that is it a larger problem than I thought. I discovered that up to 80,000 children and young people in thw UK suffer from depression, whether it being mild or severe. The key factors when realising depression amongst children are symptoms that revolve around sadness, a feeling of hopelessness, and mood changes. Signs and symptoms of depression in children include irritability, anger, continuous feelings of sadness and hopelessness.
Other key problems are:
- Social withdrawal
- Increased sensitivity to rejection
- Changes in appetite — either increased or decreased
- Changes in sleep- sleeplessness or excessive sleep
- Vocal outbursts or crying
- Difficulty concentrating
- Fatigue and low energy
- Physical complaints (such as stomachaches, headaches) that don’t respond to treatment
- Reduced ability to function during events and activities at home or with friends, in school, extracurricular activities, and in other hobbies or interests
- Feelings of worthlessness or guilt
- Impaired thinking or concentration
This research has given me ideas for my narrative so that I can show the problem more accurately, without being too serious, as well as subtle illustration ideas that I could use to show these symptoms. Also, because it is a large problem, I think that it would be good to do the book on this problem and raise awareness because of the duality of the audience who are exposed to these books.
Referenced from: http://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/depression-children, www.youngminds.org.uk/training_services/…/mental_health_statistics
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