Should depression in young school-children be diagnosed with different criteria?
In a two-stage epidemiological study 5686 randomly selected 8 to 9-year-old children were screened using the CDI (Children's Depression Inventory), of whom 418 were questioned with the DISC-C1 (Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children). According to DSM-III criteria the prevalence of MDD (Major Depressive Disorders) was 0.48% and of DD (Dysthymic Disorder) 0.06%. The prevalence rates did not change when DSM-III-R and DSM-IV criteria were employed. Fifteen children reported suicidal thoughts but according to DSM-III criteria only 1 of these children was depressed. Duration and frequency of depressive symptoms are essential for making a diagnosis of depressive disorder by the DSM-III, but children's reliability in reporting them is questionable. Omitting the duration and frequency of symptoms from the DSM-III criteria raised the prevalence of MDD to 4.0% and of DD to 2.2%. Eight of the children with suicidal thoughts were depressed. By the adapted DSM-III-R and DSM-IV criteria the prevalence rate of MDD was 4.0% and of DD 9.7%.
Puura
K
K
University of Tampere, Tampere School of Public Health, Finland.
Tamminen
T
T
Almqvist
F
F
Kresanov
K
K
Kumpulainen
K
K
Moilanen
I
I
Koivisto
A M
AM
D002648:Child; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010552:Personality Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011594:Psychometrics; D012307:Risk Factors; D012494:Sampling Studies; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology; D000092864:Suicide Prevention