Depression in Childhood: Lifespan Perspectives

Depression, a clinical disorder characterized by low mood and/or loss of interest or pleasure, affects 15% to 20% of individuals at some point [Page 1025]in their lifetime. Depression has a chronic course, with recurrent episodes likely. Of those affected by depression, between one half and three quarters report at least one reoccurrence of a depressive episode across their lifetime, and each episode significantly increases the likelihood of another. Not only is this disorder chronic and recurring; it also often has an early onset. Although the median onset of depression is in early adulthood, typically the early to mid-20s, many individuals report the onset of depressive symptoms during adolescence.

Indeed, 15% to 20% of adolescents meet lifetime criteria for depression, which is similar to the rates reported ...