Depression During Childhood and Adolescence

Information on depression during childhood and adolescence is reviewed from a developmental psychopathology perspective. The chapter covers descriptive and diagnostic features, as well as considering key concerns in the assessment of depression from childhood through adolescence. Issues of developmental epidemiology, including prevalence rates, developmental trajectories, sex differences, and developmental patterns of sequential comorbidity, are reviewed. Multiple risks and vulnerabilities, with particular attention to the developmental relevance of these factors and processes in children and adolescence, are considered. Finally, future directions are emphasized, including continued investigation of transdiagnostic versus specific etiologies, employing multiple levels of analysis, and translating risk knowledge into personalization of evidence-based, developmentally sensitive assessment and intervention approaches.