University Presentation Showcase: Graduate Poster Gallery
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Creation Date
Spring 2018
Major
Therapeutic Recreation
Department
Recreation and Park Administration
Degree
Graduate
Mentor
Jon McChesney
Mentor Department
Recreation and Park Administration
Abstract
Clinical depression manifests in preschool aged children similarly to adults. One of the largest concessions to make while diagnosing children as young as six years old is the period normally used to determine the presence of clinical depression. Normally a two-week time frame is used to determine the presence of clinical depression but children at this age are still so formative that waiving this time period increases the likelihood of identifying any issues regarding depression.
Depressed preschoolers have extremely negative play themes including suicidal ideations and extreme guilt (cite). While this research is extremely important, it is only within the past twenty years that this research has become a serious topic of concern. Unfortunately, treatment for most cases consist of antipsychotics, which the long-term effects are unknown. Therapeutic recreation can assist in alleviating symptoms of clinical depression and used in conjunction with more traditional therapy methods, such as talk therapy. More research is needed into how effective therapeutic recreation is in co-treating clinically depressed preschoolers. Some of these treatment options include expressive arts, assisted animal therapies, meditation and arts and crafts.
