Treating Child and Adolescent Depression

Abstract

Reviews the book, Treating child and adolescent depression edited by Joseph M. Rey and Boris Birmaher (2009). This new text edited by Rey and Birmaher, two heavyweights in the academic world from Australia and the United States, is highly recommended. This text would be most obviously well-placed on the shelves of practicing general and child psychiatrists, as well as psychiatry residents, but also would be useful for psychotherapists, academics, primary care physicians, and those in training. Overall, the text is nicely organized, progressing sensibly from the provision of a historical context for understanding current dilemmas in child treatment, onward to an analysis of causes and risk factors for developing childhood depression, and subsequently moving into a thorough review of key issues in evidence-based assessment and treatment. Thoughtful discussions are provided to assist with navigating the complexity of child and adolescent assessment, including the all-too-common fact that multiple informants typically provide contrasting reports. The inclusion of family therapy, psychodynamic approaches, and the controversies involved with and potential role for complementary and alternative medicine offer often-ignored but quite important considerations in the treatment of child and adolescent depression. In summary, this new text will be a welcome addition to the libraries of all who are involved in treating depressed youth. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)