Gifted children are likely to become depressed for reasons that may not affect the average child.
Many gifted children can be prone to Existential Depression.
What is Existential Depression?
This depression occurs when one confronts issues of existence such as life, death, disease and freedom. Children may begin to worry about death and the meaning of life.
What could be the reason that more gifted children can be prone to this depression is their heightened sensitivity. Gifted adolescents may have stronger, deeper, and more enduring reactions to stimuli than their peers.
Risk Factors
Specifically, gifted children's high cognitive functioning, asynchronous
development and tendency toward perfectionism, sensitivity, and social isolation are viewed by some writers as risk factors.
Perfectionism
A combination of thoughts and behaviors associated with high expectations for self and others.This is a unhealthy and neurotic need to avoid failure. These students often struggle with making realistic goals and reasonable commitments, which can lead to higher levels of stress. Perfectionism is associated in the clinical literature on general populations with a wide range of medical and emotional problems, including depression and suicide.
Social Isolation
Personality traits of gifted adolescents include a strong tendency towards psychological introversion. This can also be associated with social isolation. According to research, social isolation happens when gifted children are not being accelerated among gifted peers and are not receiving appropriate educational services.
Bullying
Gifted students who are criticized or bullied are more at risk for emotional difficulties, according to "Misdiagnosis and Dual Diagnoses of Gifted Children and Adults." Gifted students who are not in the proper educational environment are likely to be alienated by peers, including being called "geeks" and "nerds". Suicide attempts are more frequent among youths who are particularly creative and highly sensitive, according to "A Parent's Guide to Gifted Children."
Below is a video about a strategy used to treat perfectionism in gifted children:
What is Existential Depression?
This depression occurs when one confronts issues of existence such as life, death, disease and freedom. Children may begin to worry about death and the meaning of life.
What could be the reason that more gifted children can be prone to this depression is their heightened sensitivity. Gifted adolescents may have stronger, deeper, and more enduring reactions to stimuli than their peers.
Risk Factors
Specifically, gifted children's high cognitive functioning, asynchronous
development and tendency toward perfectionism, sensitivity, and social isolation are viewed by some writers as risk factors.
Perfectionism
A combination of thoughts and behaviors associated with high expectations for self and others.This is a unhealthy and neurotic need to avoid failure. These students often struggle with making realistic goals and reasonable commitments, which can lead to higher levels of stress. Perfectionism is associated in the clinical literature on general populations with a wide range of medical and emotional problems, including depression and suicide.
Social Isolation
Personality traits of gifted adolescents include a strong tendency towards psychological introversion. This can also be associated with social isolation. According to research, social isolation happens when gifted children are not being accelerated among gifted peers and are not receiving appropriate educational services.
Bullying
Gifted students who are criticized or bullied are more at risk for emotional difficulties, according to "Misdiagnosis and Dual Diagnoses of Gifted Children and Adults." Gifted students who are not in the proper educational environment are likely to be alienated by peers, including being called "geeks" and "nerds". Suicide attempts are more frequent among youths who are particularly creative and highly sensitive, according to "A Parent's Guide to Gifted Children."
Below is a video about a strategy used to treat perfectionism in gifted children: