Depressive Disorders in Childhood

TLDR

In a prospective, longitudinal, controlled nosologic study of school‑aged children, the authors examined the characteristics and diagnostic validity of major depressive disorder, dysthymic disorder, and adjustment disorder with depressed mood. The study found that the disorders were distinguishable by age at onset and recovery pattern, with adjustment disorders remitting in 90 % of cases within nine months, dysthymia in 89 % over six years, major depression and dysthymia showing similar rates of comorbid non‑affective disorders, early onset predicting longer illness, and treatment contacts not clearly affecting recovery.

Abstract

• In the context of a prospective, longitudinal, and controlled nosologic study, the characteristics and diagnostic validity of major depressive disorder, dysthymic disorder, and adjustment disorder with depressed mood were examined in a school-aged cohort. The entities were distinguishable on several dimensions such as age at onset and pattern of recovery. Time to recovery from onset was most favorable for the adjustment disorders (90% remission rate during nine months) and least so for the dysthymias (89% remission rate during six years). Major depression and dysthymia were similar with respect to the prevalence of concurrent nonaffective disorders. For both, early age at onset predicted a more protracted illness. Treatment contacts, none of which were under the control of the investigators, had no clear impact on recovery from the depressions.