Early onset Major Depressive Disorder




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During the past 20 years, there has been a dramatic change in the clinical recognition of Major Depressive Disorders among children and adolescents. The reality of depression in early life was even denied by numerous clinicians.

By now, the diagnosis of early onset depression is widely accepted, and seems much more frequent than had been appreciated hitherto : More than 2% of children and 5% of adolescent are suffering from depression !...and very few of them are specifically cured and helped .



However, very early onset depressions are now considered by several researchers as a particularly serious form of affective illness.







First, 70% of previously clinically referred depressed children and adolescents have a recurrent depression when followed up for 5 or more years
(See Dr Kovacs articles in medical press, particularly in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry ).






Second, very early onset depression could be a marker of bipolar disorder : bipolar illness (see below) could develop in up to 20% of depressed children (Pr Geller and al. : see the excellent article to be published in september 1997 in the previously cited journal) ).






Third, there is some evidence that depressed children are at high risk of developing conduct disorders and its corollaries (drug abuses, antisocial behaviours, delinquency,...) (Dr Kashani and al.)





Fourth, the frequency of suicidal attempts and suicides in adolescents...and children...is rising in our societies, clearly linked in much cases with depression





THAT'S WHY WE DEEPLY CONSIDER VERY EARLY ONSET DEPRESSION AS A MAJOR PUBLIC HEALTH CONCERN










Symptoms of Early Onset Depression


Symptoms of Sadness Apathy
OFTEN NO SHOWN SADNESS !
Irritability
Fits of Anger, Fits of Destruction
Cry
Low self-esteem ("I'm bad")
Culpability 		Apathy
Anorexia or Hyperphagia
Withdrawal
No desire
Psychomotor symptoms Other Symptoms
Cognitive disorders (memory loss, lack of attention)
Logically, Bad School results
Tired all day long
Doesn't want to go out of bed 		Somatic complaints (headaches, abdominal aches)
Sleep disorders, nightmares
Anxiety, school refusal
Hallucinations (hears his name)



Every children and adolescent can have brief episodes of depressed mood which are to be considered as "developmental" : it would be dangerous to diagnose a depression each time a child feels tired or cries !


A Depressive Episode is long lasting and the mood disturbance is sufficiently severe to cause marked impairment in social, scholar, familial functioning.

Sometimes, depressive episodes are mixed with Manic Episodes


For further informations, PLEASE CAN CONTACT US !.
Doctor Frederic KOCHMAN


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