Should antidepressants be used to treat childhood depression?

Abstract

Childhood depression is a serious psychiatric disorder that is usually manifested as a low mood accompanied by a variety of other symptoms including attention deficit, irritability, restlessness, fidgeting, aggressive behavior, academic burnout, truancy and (in some cases) suicidal behavior. Depression can seriously impact a child’s academic achievement, social interactions and other aspects of their daily lives. [1] The reported prevalence of depression is 1 to 2% in prepubescent children, 3 to 8% in younger teenagers and 14% in teenagers aged 15 to 18; overall, it is estimated that 20% of the population will experience at least one episode of depression prior to the age of 18. [2] During childhood there is no significant gender difference in the prevalence of depression, but after puberty female rates of depression become higher than those for males. [3] The etiology of childhood depression remains unclear: it may be caused by the interaction of various risk factors and protective factors including genetic predisposition, abnormalities of the structure and function of the brain, psychological and physiological stressors, poor parental relationships, and so forth. [4-6]