title: Chronic depression and hospital course in adolescents.
abstract: Survival curves were used to analyze the relationship between chronicity of depression and hospital course in 48 adolescents with unipolar major depression. The 25 adolescents with chronic depression (defined as a continuous course of depressive illness for 1 year or more) did not differ from those with acute depression in age, gender, or socioeconomic status. Despite similar admission and discharge Children's Depression Rating Scale-Revised scores, adolescents with chronic depression had a significantly slower initial rate of improvement. The study suggests that chronicity of depression has predictive validity with regard to acute hospital course in adolescents.
authors.affiliation: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
authors.forename: B N
authors.initials: BN
authors.lastname: Shain
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: King
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Naylor
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Alessi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012737:Sex Factors