A Controlled Family History Study of Prepubertal Major Depressive Disorder

1st degree & 2nd degree adult relatives of prepubertal children with major depression, children with nonaffective psychiatric disorders, & abnormal children were assessed. Findingssuggest prepubertal onset of major depression is likely in families with high aggregation of affective disorders & a high prevalence of alcholism. Low familial rates of MDD (major depressive disorder) were associated with suicidality comorbid conduct disorder in the child probands. (CM)