Childhood depression: A critical Issue

A recent study has revealed that 60 percent of Sri Lankan school children are affected by depression (The Island 2025/10/12).

- BY GEEWANANDA GUNAWARDANA, PH.D.

This is an alarmingly high figure. When reviewing historical data, it becomes evident that these figures have been rising steadily over time, making this finding less unexpected. Even if the actual prevalence is only half of the reported value, the magnitude of the issue remains critical. This can have far-reaching personal and social impacts as shown in multiple studies (Figure 1). It is a ticking timebomb that demands immediate attention and intervention; we must act now.

We may shortsightedly conclude that there is something wrong with our children. Nothing cannot be further from the truth. It is not the children; it is our society that is broken. This is a global trend, depression and anxiety are afflicting increasing numbers among all age groups. Sri Lankan situation is worse; our suicide rate is higher than the global average: 15 per 100,000 people compared to nine. This again is not surprising, we have had a turbulent and violent history, and its effects are continuing.

The field of epigenetics describes how the stress experienced by mothers can manifest in their grandchildren. During pregnancy, stress can cause epigenetic "scars," like changes to DNA methylation patterns, which are passed down through her daughter to the grandchildren, potentially altering their gene expression and increasing their vulnerability to stress or other health problems (Serpeloni 2017). We know that a generation of mothers experienced ample stress during their childbearing years due to violence of war and uprisings.

Collapse of social institutions