title: Comparison of demographic and clinical characteristics between children and adolescents with major depressive disorder.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare clinical characteristics of major depressive disorder symptoms between children and adolescents.
  
  
  METHODS
  The subjects were 58 patients of a Child and Adolescent Affective Disorder Clinic consecutively admitted during a six-month period. Children aged 5-9 years old and adolescents from 10-17 years old currently meeting DSM-IV criteria diagnosis of major depressive disorder were chosen. Current MDD diagnosis and depressive psychopathology were assessed by a clinical interview and the Diagnostic Interview for Children and Adolescents-DSM-IV version. The Children's Depression Rating Scale-Revised Version and the Children Global Assessment Scale rated the severity and global functioning of major depressive disorder.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The most common depressive symptoms were: anhedonia (72.4%), depressed mood (72.4%), decreased concentration (62.1%), and irritability (58.6%). The intensity of depressive episodes of this sample ranged from mild to moderate. Fifty percent reported thoughts of death, and 29.3% presented a variety of psychotic symptoms. When compared with children, adolescents reported a significantly more depressed mood (p = 0.043), lower self-esteem (p = 0.002), and had more difficulty concentrating (p = 0.020). Female adolescents had lower self-esteem (p = 0.003), and male adolescents showed more decreased concentration (p = 0.016).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggests that age and gender differences might influence the clinical presentation of major depressive disorder in children and adolescents. Further studies with larger samples are needed.
authors.affiliation: Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Service, Department & Institute of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. leefui@terra.com.br
authors.forename: Lee
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fu-I
authors.forename: Yuan Pang
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012737:Sex Factors; D012923:Social Class; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology*; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000523:psychology