About Gifted Students & Depression

Gifted students, especially those attending schools that do not offer special classes for them, are at risk for depression because of feelings of being different from the majority of students.

Risk Factors

• Gifted students who are criticized or bullied are more at risk for emotional difficulties, according to "Misdiagnosis and Dual Diagnoses of Gifted Children and Adults." Suicide attempts are more frequent among youths who are particularly creative and highly sensitive, according to "A Parent's Guide to Gifted Children."

Symptoms

• Depressed gifted students might exhibit feelings of loneliness and patterns of perfectionism. Girls are likely to withdraw, and boys might show anger or frustration rather than sadness. Self-punishment also can be a manifestation of depression.

Causes

• Causes include alienation from peers (including being called "geeks" or "nerds"); disappointment resulting from unfulfilled high expectations; pressure (both self-imposed and external) to perform perfectly; oversensitivity to trauma or loss; and a sense of helplessness, such as feeling trapped in a regular classroom where they are not academically challenged, according to James T. Webb, Ph.D., founder of Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted (SENG).

Existential Depression

• This is a type of depression unique to gifted students. Similar to an adult's midlife crisis, it is characterized by questions about the meaning of life and the student's purpose for existence. Gifted students suffer existential depression because of their sensitivity to social issues and awareness of a lack of action on the part of adults to solve problems.

How to Help

• Dr. Webb suggests that adults listen to and accept the concerns of gifted students as valid. Assure them they are not alone, and help them join a group where they fit in, such as an organization that supports a social cause or a club that encourages creativity.