Am J Psychiatry 1985; 142:687-691
Copyright © 1985 by American Psychiatric Association
But are they cases? Validity of DSM-III major depression in children identified in a family study
WR Beardslee, GL Klerman, MB Keller, PW Lavori and DL Podorefsky
The authors examine the validity of the diagnosis of major depression in
nine children and adolescents assessed as part of a study of offspring of
parents who had affective disorders. The authors conclude that these nine
children were suffering from valid cases of affective disorder because
disruptions in multiple domains of functioning accompanied the major
depression. The seriousness of the impairment and the finding that few of
these children received any treatment at all strongly suggest the need for
a heightened awareness among clinicians about the seriousness of depression
in children whose parents have affective disorders.
