Article Critique: Analyzing 'Why Kids' Depression Goes Unnoticed'

This report presents a critical analysis of Alison Escalante's article, "Why Kids’ Depression Goes Unnoticed," published in Psychology Today. The critique focuses on the article's examination of communication gaps between parents and children as a primary reason for the under-detection of childhood depression. The analysis discusses the author's arguments, which emphasize the importance of parental awareness and proactive communication in recognizing subtle signs of depression in children. The critique highlights the article's relevance, particularly for parents, and its broader implications for mental health awareness. It also considers potential counterarguments, such as children concealing their emotions, and proposes solutions like fostering open conversations and making children aware of available resources. The report concludes by emphasizing the importance of regular health screenings and open communication to address the issue of unnoticed depression in children.

Running head: ARTICLE CRITIQUE
Critical Analysis of an Article
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

ARTICLE CRITIQUE
Critical Analysis of an Article
The following sections of the paper will critically analyze the article “Why Kids’
Depression Goes Unnoticed” by Alison Escalante published in the magazine Psychology
Today in March. 2020. The article highlights its sub-theme of the critical signs of depression
in the children that are often missed by the parents. The primary audience of the article is the
parent group and aims to enunciate the factors that obstruct this audience from observing
signs of depression in their children.
The article is concerned with the role of parents in identifying the subtle signs of
depression in their children and act accordingly, and the author marks it’s as a matter of
urgency. One of the critical highlights and observations reported by the reader is that majority
of the parents often wait longer than usual to take their children to help post observing
depressive symptoms. The author argues that parent-child communication gets more
complicated under circumstances of depression in the child and the infrequent checking of
the child or stating that the feelings are temporary are the primary factors why depression
goes unnoticed. Although parents may not act as causal mechanisms for depression in their
children, communication gaps can lead to a severe worsening of the mental health condition
of the child, and this gets to be one of the key advices that the audience gets from the article.
However, this particular perspective of the author can be contradicted by the scenario, where
the children may try to hide their emotions and pretend everything to be normal, which makes
it extremely difficult the task of recognition by the parents (Escalante, 2020).
Another critical argument and perspective that incites the readers are that children
conceal their worries, as they do not want it to be a burden on their parents. The author
remarks and acknowledges this issue with the solution of cultivating conversation, which will
help the parents to build a relationship with the child and let them feel comfortable in sharing
all their worries. It is evident that making children aware of the resources and help available

ARTICLE CRITIQUE
around them can lead to a remarkable decrease in the unnoticed depressive signs. Regular
health screening of the children by their parents can be one of the most adequate steps
towards addressing the issue that the author highlights in the article. Such actions require the
parents to talk of ‘big feelings’, even when the young age of the child may seem
inappropriate for such talks. The parents are required to share their experiences, which can
essentially help in cultivating healthy conversation (Escalante, 2020).
The article is particularly directed towards the parents and gives information on how
they can help in reviewing the mental health condition of their child, to prevent any further
health disorders in the future. The article is of great use and is not just limited to the specified
group of parent, but is applicable to all the readers.
Summary
The article provides a comprehensive review of the communication gaps between the
parents and their children that results in depressive signs going unnoticed in the children.
Cultivation relationship is deemed to be the most effective strategy to deal with this issue.

ARTICLE CRITIQUE
References
Escalante, A., - March/April 2020 | Why Kids' Depression Goes Unnoticed" by Escalante,
Alison Online Research Library. Questia.com. Retrieved 3 April 2020, from
https://www.questia.com/read/1P4-2365267928/why-kids-depression-goes-unnoticed