What do an oppositional, angry, 10-year-old boy, a sexually promiscuous 16-year-old girl, and a whiney 7-year-old perfectionist have in common?  They may all be depressed.

How do we understand sadness and loss in childhood and adolescence?  Symptoms of dysphoric mood and depression follow a developmental course and are influenced by changes in cognition, interpersonal skills, affect regulation, and physiology.  In consequence, diagnosis, intervention and prevention can be a confusing process as children may manifest many behaviors we don’t usually think about in connection with individuals who are depressed.  This presentation considered how we can best recognize and respond to these youngsters by examining the evolution of depressive symptoms, the influence of environmental and family factors on the development of pathological depression, and current research on depression prevention programs for schools.

Susan Kaye-Huntington, Psy.D.