Depression in children and adolescents

Abstract

Early onset depression is a widely prevalent, recurrent and familial disorder with a tendency to continue throughout adulthood. It is often accompanied by other comorbidities such as substance abuse, bipolar disorder, suicidal behavior and significant impairment in the child's psychosocial development. The risk factors include genetic, psychological and environmental factors and gene-environment interaction. The evidence-based therapies include cognitive, inter-personal and pharmacological interventions. Recently, the FDA published a warning concerning the use of these pharmacological agents in the pediatric age group. Further research is needed to assess the efficacy and safety of these interventions and to better understand the etiological factors.