The Clinical Picture of Major Depression in Children and Adolescents

Symptom frequency & severity were compared in two sequential clinically referred samples of 95 children & 92 adolescents, aged 6 to 18 years, all medically healthy, who met unmodified Research Diagnostic Criteria for major depressive disorder (MDD). No significant differences were found between the two groups in the majority of depressive symptoms. However, prepubertal children had greater depresed appearance, somatic complaints, psychomotor agitation, separation anxiety, phobias, & hallucinations. Adolescents had greater anhedonia, hopelessness, hypersomnia, weight change, use of alcohol & illicit drugs, & lethality of suicide attmept, but not severity of suicidal ideation or intent. (45 refs)