Mixed Anxiety/Depression in Childhood and Adolescence

Abstract

Depression and anxiety are recognized as significant mental health problems during childhood and adolescence. The prevalence of symptoms of anxiety and depression increases during development, these problems are associated with impaired social and school functioning, and anxiety and depression symptoms or disorders early in development are predictive of similar problems in adulthood (Hammen & Rudolph, 1996). In spite of the overall significance of these problems for the well-being and development of children and adolescents, several issues about the conceptualization and basic nature of anxiety and depression in young people remain unresolved (Compas, Connor, & Hinden, 1998). Most importantly, the conceptualization of the nature and developmental course of depression and anxiety in young people remains open to debate. On the one hand, these problems have been conceptualized as discrete disorders that adhere to criteria that were originally developed for adults and have been extended down, with minor modifications, to children and adolescents (American Psychiatric Association, 1994). On the other hand, quantitative approaches to child and adolescent psychopathology have not identified distinct syndromes that reflect anxiety and depression, but have consistently revealed a syndrome that includes a mixture of anxious and depressed symptoms (Achenbach, 1991; Achenbach, Verhulst, Baron & Akkerhuis, 1987; Verhulst & van der Ende, 1992).