Introduction
Emotions are experienced and expressed on so many different levels. The way in which one chooses to express their emotions is depending upon their individual experiences and how they perceive events as they occur. Therefore, emotions can be triggered by either a negative or positive perception of one’s environment. Frijda (1986) and Lazarus (1991) argue that reacting to and adapting to a negative environment that sparks emotions can be seen as an adaptive survival tactic. In other words, if a person is slapped by a stranger and as a reaction they have the urge to respond violently by slapping the person back. Their emotions can be viewed as a survival tactic due to them feeling a violent response is necessary in an effort to protect themselves. Nonetheless, positive emotions have the opposite impact. When one experiences a positive experience that warrants an emotion, the effect on the body is more favorable. The body is more even keel and is able to decipher through a range of positive behaviors, while deciding on the best course of action (Fredrickson, Mancuso, Branigan, & Tugade, 2000, p. 240). As stated previously, emotions are experienced and expressed in a variety of ways depending on the specific individual. This can be due to factors such as their environment, upbringing, culture, and a variety of other things. However, another component that factors into the equation is whether a person is a child or adult. This is important because a person’s perception varies depending on stage of life as well. A child may view a particular situation as a crisis and to an adult it may not be something that they view as important. However, it is important that both children and adults are able to remain emotionally stable. When one falls into the realms of emotional instability, that is when the possibility of depression is relevant and very likely to happen. The same as emotions, depression is also a condition that is triggered by varies factors depending on age. This emotional report paper will focus on factors that play a role in the emotions of children and also how becoming emotionally imbalanced can lead to depression as well. Emotions will be defined as alterations within one’s functioning as they perceive changes within their environment (Groppel-Klein, 2014, p. 9). Depression will be defined as a perilous medical condition that impacts how one perceive and feel about their environment and causes them not to functional as they normally would (American Psychiatric Association, para 1).
Emotion and Depression with Children
Adult depression has been a focal point of researchers for decades. However, Barrett (2006) suggest that with all of the research done on the functioning of the mind, the studying of emotion has been steady but yet slow (p. 28). Studying depression in children has been even slower than that of adults. Although it is unusual for a child to be diagnosed with depression, symptoms of depression are known to be present during the preadolescence stage. Consequently, experiencing depressive symptoms during childhood increases the likelihood of it occurring during adulthood as well (Siener & Kerns, 2011, p. 415). So, if depressive symptoms are noticeable during a child’s adolescent years, it is very important that they receive help and emotional support as they work through their emotions. It would also benefit them talk to have someone to talk to about their emotions such as a parent or in some case a professional. Having the ability to do such allows them to become more acclimated with themselves. They are then able to handle situations more appropriately before it leads to depression due to being more aware of their emotional triggers. Siener and Kerns (2011) discusses the importance of one having a good understanding of their emotions and the actions that trigger them. They suggest having an understanding of one’s emotions is important because it allows them to better control their emotions and behaviors once an emotional response is warranted. They also suggest that having emotional control is vital, because it allows one the ability to identify with their emotional self and not have a crisis once circumstances change. Hence, with emotions being a huge factor in a range of psychological disorders such as depression, it is vital to maintain a range of stability in order to sustain an acceptable level of interpersonal functioning (Barrett, 2006, p. 28).
Another important reason for children to have an understanding of their emotions is because it helps with being able to better cope with unfavorable situations once they are encounter. Lazarus (1993) compares coping to the General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS). GAS stresses the notion that once a stressor is introduced to one’s environment a stress reaction is also triggered as an emotional response. (p.4). Therefore, being able to cope is also a huge factor that decreases the chances of depression in children. Those that do not have the ability to cope well increase the likelihood of encountering depression symptoms. (Siener & Kerns, 2011, p. 415). As children continue to mature and acclimate to life, developing specific skills such coping and talking through their emotions is essential to navigating a world that is constantly changing. Hunter et al. (2001) argued children require a more diverse set of skills as they mature due to the complexity of their environment. The authors also suggest that children are more likely to understand and have balanced emotions if afforded the opportunity to discuss their emotions during times when they are triggered (p. 429). Think about the things a child has to deal with that are important to them. Those things could be academics, social life, home life, playing sports, working, etc. Children sometimes place a lot of pressure on themselves to meet levels of expectations and when they fall short of those expectations they can feel as though they failed. If they are not able to speak to someone and share their emotions of how they are feeling the chances of depression increases due to an emotional imbalance.
Another factor that is believed to play a huge role in adolescent depression is constant changes in their lives. As things constantly change and mature for them, and with the difficulties they face, managing their emotions is often tough (Lougheed, Craig, Pepler, Connolly, O’Hara, Granic, & Hollenstein, 2015, p. 963). This is something that happens with children as they began to mature and experience puberty. Although experiencing puberty is natural in life and only experienced once, it is a major change in the body that a child is unfamiliar with that will cause them to adapt. They may experience mood swings and negative attitudes toward situations that they normally did not express. They may also find themselves behaving and expressing themselves differently around their peers as relationships become more meaningful to them as they become more aware of their emotions.
Peer Pressure and Emotions
Being emotionally aware is also important for children due to the fact that they will face pressure from peers to do things that they may not want to do. If they do not do those things usually they will face some sort of backlash that will challenge their emotional stability. Peer pressure is a relatable phenomenon for all people no matter their ethnicity, socioeconomic lifestyle, environmental makeup, or social standing. Boruah (2016) describes peer as more than one person that are closely relatable in age and share similar interest or activities. The peer role is importance because it helps to identify and shape the emotional development of those within the peer group. Peer pressure can be described as the influence exerted by the group to either perform of or approve of specific events or actions (p. 127). Experiencing peer pressure in some form is very common throughout all stages of life no matter one’s age. However, it can be intensified in the perception of children. Lashbrook (2000) argues the case of the reference group theory that implants peer influences in either the normative or comparative group. In essence, either a person is within a social group where behaviors have set norms in which everyone acts accordingly, or a person standing is within a comparative group where there are set standards that are established and he or she is measured compared to how everyone else within the group reaches those standards (p.749). Children begin at an early age conforming to emotions and wanting to be socially accepted. As they grow older and peer relationship become clearly identified and more important, they then become more trusting as they share more of their life and feelings with their peers. They usually feel their peers are usually more supportive of their expressed emotions and respond more favorably than maybe that of an adult (Lougheed et al, 2015, pp.964-965). Lazarus (1993) implied that the environment and different conditions, which can be unsupportive input from an adult, can bring forth psychological stress (p5).
Although peer pressure has its rightful place in the development of a child, negative peer pressure can lead a child down a path of depression and other unwarranted outcomes. According to Allen, Porter, & Mcfarland (2006), adolescences are vulnerable to peer pressure. That pressure intensifies when the pressure derives from someone in which they have a close relationship with. Having a vulnerability to peer pressure impact one’s psychosocial functioning and increase the likelihood of depressive symptoms if not handled correctly (p. 167). An example of this would be a group of peers that have decided to partake in recreational drug usage. One of the individuals within the group decided that he does not want to do drugs and is ostracized by the group. These are friends that he has grown up with and known for years. These are friends that he has built a very close bond with and have experienced growing pains with. However, now he finds himself as the outsider and the group no longer treats him as one of the guys. He now finds himself all alone without the friends he has known his entire life. No longer does he has the guys to chat with about girls, no longer does he have the guys to play videogames with, and no longer does he have the guys to chat with while at lunch at school. All of a sudden, he finds himself socially neglected. His status within the group has dissipated and the social construct of his life is no longer what it once was. He did not realize how much he actually depended on his status within the group. He often finds himself sad and having a hard time adjusting to his newly found situation, and before too long he finds himself depressed. This is a clear case as to how not conforming to peer pressure can leave one on the outside of the social circle and also how being ostracized from peers can lead to emotional instability and therefore depression. In order to counteract this, it would be good for him to learn to cope in a way that changes his psychological conditions. For example, spend time getting to know and making new friends that have the same interest as him. According to Lazurus (1993), if his coping mechanisms helps him improve his psychological condition, then his emotional stress will also change (p. 8).
Conclusion
Displaying emotions is a natural behavior. Barrett (2006) states that some of the emotional reactions that are present are natural and produces physiological and psychological changes within the body (p. 28). When emotions are not properly managed and maintained at a level of stability depression is likely to follow. Depression is a very real and dangerous illness that impacts the lives of so many in society today. Adults are often viewed as the individuals that are faced with a variety of obstacles, circumstances, and stress. Hence, for so the focus has been solely on depression in adults. Frijda (1988), emotions are tied to action readiness. When a stimulus is introduced then there is an action ready in response (p.349). Therefore, children also have emotions. Be that as it may, their emotions can also become imbalanced and thus lead to depression. It can be argued that for extended periods of time adults have viewed children as individuals that are care free and without worry. It can also be argued that for extended periods of time adults have often viewed children as individuals that have it made with such an easy life and no real responsibilities besides that of maybe school and a few chores around their parents and possibly grandparents’ house. However, as it is presented in this paper, children face their own set of challenges. Sometimes it may be difficult for an adult to fully understand and grasp the challenges that children are bombarded with in today’s society. Circumstances change with time. Children are not facing the same challenges as their parents did when they were a child, and if they are, the challenges have intensified since those times. According to Frijda (1988), with emotions being triggered by situational meaning, it can be argued that it is even more imperative now for children to be able to speak to someone about their emotions and how they are feeling when events happen in their lives (p.351). It would be idea if that someone was a parent that can help guide them through or in in the direr cases a professional. The earlier depressive symptoms are noticed and addressed, the better off a child will be in learning how to cope with life changes and maintain an emotional balance while doing so. It is okay for a child to be sad, happy, angry, disappoint, etc. when events occur that trigger those specific emotions. However, knowing how to manage their emotions and deal with situations accordingly is what will help them not develop an emotional imbalance that leads to depression.