by Alice M Crawford Md

Created on: October 22, 2006   Last Updated: April 29, 2009

Depression in Children and Adolescents

Depressive disorders, which include major depressive disorder, chronic mild depression and bipolar disorder, can have far reaching effects on the functioning and adjustment of young people. Among both children and adolescents, depressive disorders confer an increased risk for illness and interpersonal and psychosocial difficulties that persist long after the depressive episode is resolved.

In adolescents there is also an increased risk for substance abuse and suicidal behavior. Unfortunately, these disorders often go unrecognized by families and health care professionals alike. Signs of depressive disorders in young people often are viewed as normal mood swings typical of a particular developmental stage. In addition, health care professionals may be reluctant to prematurely label a young person with a mental illness diagnosis.
Yet early diagnosis and treatment of depressive disorders are critical to healthy emotional, social, and behavioral development.
Although the scientific literature on treatment of children and adolescents with depression is far less extensive than that concerning adults, a number of studies have confirmed the short term efficacy and safety of treatments for depression in youth.
Larger treatment trials are needed to determine which treatments work best for which youngsters.
Given the challenging nature of the problem, it is usually advisable to involve a child psychiatrist or psychologist in the evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of a child or adolescent in whom depression is suspected.
A number of studies have reported that up to three percent of children and up to eight percent of adolescents in the US suffer from depression. In nine to seventeen year olds, it is estimated that the prevalence of any depression is more than over six percent; about five percent having major depression.
Research also indicates that depression onset is occurring earlier in life today than in past decades. Early onset depression often persists, recurs, and continues into adulthood, indicating that depression in youth may also predict more severe illness in adult life. Depression in young people is often accompanied by other mental disorders, most commonly anxiety, disruptive behavior, or substance abuse disorders, and with physical illnesses, such as diabetes. Depression in children and adolescents is associated with an increased risk of suicidal behaviors. This risk may rise, particularly among adolescent boys, if the depression

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