Depression in Childhood and Adolescence

Abstract

Depression, a clinical diagnosis of long standing in adult psychopathology, has recently emerged as a major diagnostic consideration in the treatment of children. However, disagreement is still widespread among researchers as to the existence of depression in children. As recently as 1978, Lefkowitz and Burton argued that there was no evidence of a syndrome of childhood depression because (a) “these same symptoms of depression prevail at a rate too high to be considered statistically deviant” (p. 724), (b) there is no reliable and valid psychometric assessment tool available for use with children, and (c) the symptoms themselves show marked variation with age and many of them dissipate over time without treatment. The authors warned against precipitous diagnosis of a condition which may not be pathological.