School Age Boys and Depression

Hmm.. seems odd that in a small school, that many kids would have depression issues. Lack of motivation, self confidence and moodiness doesn't necessary spell depression in my book. Frankly, those could be the results of bad parenting choices.

Have these kids been diagnosed, or do the parents just "feel like they are depressed" or what? Maybe the parents don't know what is normal for middle school kids.

I guess I don't have any advice. My son went through middle school without depression. He wasn't very motivated. And could tend toward moodiness. But he wasn't depressed.

"they lack motivation, self confidence and are generally unhappy"
That doesn't sound like depression that sounds like middle school!!!
Depression is a serious diagnosis, and putting kids on meds for psychiatric reasons is serious too. Don't confuse normal symptoms of puberty with something like depression. Does your school not have a counselor on staff, someone for kids to talk to when they're having a hard time, and someone for YOU to talk to about how to deal with the particular issues of young teens?

Ok, I am going out on a limb here and I apologize if you feel offended... not my intent, but some things do need saying...
I also find it odd that you would have a cluster of depressed middle schoolers at your small school.

I would say that some amount of lack in motivation, self confidence and general unhappiness or dissatisfaction is normal for that age group and I would strongly caution against pathologizing normal symptoms of adolescence as depression requiring treatment.
You are a teacher and not a psychologist. If you have concerns about a specific child you should refer them to the school counselor and notify their parents of your concerns. But you really should refrain from making suggestions for diagnosis and treatment you got from the internet - even if we are just talking about nutritional supplements (all things may have side effects, even vitamins and nutritional supps.).

Now in addition, I hate to say it, maybe it's your teaching? I really do not want to offend, but some teachers simply do not inspire motivation in kids. Maybe it's the content, maybe it is the delivery.... maybe unconsciously your teaching is more geared to be interesting for the girls... from the books you choose for reading to the methods you use to engage the kids.

If teachers at your school share teaching strategies (something I have often observed) this may even go across classrooms... so if you as a teacher and maybe as a school have not done this yet, maybe a self assessment is in order on which of your methods hinder or help the boys you are mentioning.

The phenomenon of boys starting to lag in motivation and performance in late elementary and middle school is unfortunately not unusual or unknown and some researchers believe that the main cause is that schools these days are overly feminized: mostly female teachers and administrators catering more to female students, for example by choosing texts more interesting to girls, providing collaborative environments in which girls tend to succeed rather than competitive ones which appeal more to boys.... and there are many more examples.

There is a lot of literature on the subject, I suggest you read some of it.
Good luck.

There are a lot of things that can be done with cellular nutrition to help kids process all the preservatives and toxins in their bodies from their junk food and environment. Even families eating "healthy foods" are exposed to nice big green produce grown in depleted soils or with too much fertilizer. The gas used to keep our fruits and vegetables fresh during transport and storage is also a problem consumers aren't aware of. I'm in the field, and we're seeing a huge turnaround in all the processing and behavioral issues, such as ADD, ADHD, sensory processing issues, ODD, PDD/NOS, Asperger's, autism, rages, depression, and so on. Omega 3s are not enough. And just taking a few vitamins or a single category of nutrient is far from effective. We've seen people trying to fix things themselves without either the scientific background or any knowledge about how to evaluate products sold in health food stores, and it rarely does anything except clean out the families' wallets. Connecting with reputable food science trends and getting some online education with personal consultation is much more effective.

Some of the moodiness is typical of middle school kids. If some kids are miserable, it can affect the group. But if this is systemic issue, it may be something much bigger.

But if you're seeing a big uptick, I'd look at something in the building - mold and that sort of thing. Have there been any recent renovations with things like ceiling tiles, adhesives for new flooring, changes in ventilation equipment or exhaust, anything in the boys' bathrooms or locker rooms? Are they hanging out after school in a place that is either new or has undergone renovations? We had a huge issue in one of our town's schools - one parent had a very very sick kid but there were others; she spearheaded a massive investigation, fighting the school system, and it turned out that there was a terrible mold problem.The school pretty much had to be shut down. It's now shown up in a second school and it's being taken more seriously.

I'd also take a good hard look at the start of drug use - it's very common in this age group for kids to start getting into the parents' prescription medication and/or liquor, and to be using each other's meds. Mixing and matching meds can be a problem obviously. If some of the kids are going on meds, those meds are now available to others.

The book Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman might help give you some insight into these boys.

Does your school have a school counselor? If you do -- and I hope for the kids' sake you do - -- this is something to bring to the counselor's attention. It's the counselor's role to watch for these things. If you see a real trend of this and think it is something other than normal middle school funk, you need a trained professional like the counselor to take over and come up with some strategies, starting with giving parents information on the signs of clinical depression in teens and tweens. The counselor also should be doing what we call "counseling lessons" in the classrooms once a month where he or she works directly with students on topics like bullying, organizing yourself to get homework done, and yes, signs of depression.

I was depressed from 5th until my teen years. It could be just coming from lack of connection at home. Omega 3s are very good for depression. For adults they recommend a 1,000 mg 3 or more times a day. I have also heard from a doctor that a breakfast that is all carbs worsens depression. I make sure my 12 year old has a little protein before school even if he intends on hitting the school cafeteria before class.

A good B complex helps stabilize moods. A Vitamin D supplement in the evening can boost mood.

A pep rally?
Middle school is so transitional.
Kids are in an awkward teen stage, voices are changing and zits are everywhere.
This isn't elementary school anymore - the homework gets longer and harder and some kids are not sure about joining after school clubs/activities while others are overbooked and running themselves ragged.
From MY perspective - I try to make sure our son gets enough sleep.
On occasion he'll have to burn the midnight oil to study or finish a project but I try to make sure he gets 8 to 9 hrs sleep per night - so many kids (and adults) let themselves get into a sleep deficit and it just wears you down, makes you more prone to getting sick, and being chronically tired makes everyone feel moody.
A balanced diet, watch the soda/caffeine, some exercise (try to get outside for a bit every day) - all good things to help keep them on an even keel.
Also - no electronics (phone/tv/computer, etc) in their bedroom in case they are tempted to surf the web instead of sleeping.
Their mood will pick up a bit as Halloween gets closer.