title: Screening for Major Depressive Disorder in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Major depressive disorder (MDD) is common among children and adolescents and is associated with functional impairment and suicide.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To update the 2009 U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) systematic review on screening for and treatment of MDD in children and adolescents in primary care settings.
  
  
  METHODS
  Several electronic searches (May 2007 to February 2015) and searches of reference lists of published literature.
  
  
  METHODS
  Trials and recent systematic reviews of treatment, test-retest studies of screening, and trials and large cohort studies for harms.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were abstracted by 1 investigator and checked by another; 2 investigators independently assessed study quality.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Limited evidence from 5 studies showed that such tools as the Beck Depression Inventory and Patient Health Questionnaire for Adolescents had reasonable accuracy for identifying MDD among adolescents in primary care settings. Six trials evaluated treatment. Several individual fair- and good-quality studies of fluoxetine, combined fluoxetine and cognitive behavioral therapy, escitalopram, and collaborative care demonstrated benefits of treatment among adolescents, with no associated harms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The review included only English-language studies, narrow inclusion criteria focused only on MDD, high thresholds for quality, potential publication bias, limited data on harms, and sparse evidence on long-term outcomes of screening and treatment among children younger than 12 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  No evidence was found of a direct link between screening children and adolescents for MDD in primary care or similar settings and depression or other health-related outcomes. Evidence showed that some screening tools are accurate and some treatments are beneficial among adolescents (but not younger children), with no evidence of associated harms.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
authors: Valerie
authors: V
authors: Forman-Hoffman
authors: Emily
authors: E
authors: McClure
authors: Joni
authors: J
authors: McKeeman
authors: Charles T
authors: CT
authors: Wood
authors: Jennifer Cook
authors: JC
authors: Middleton
authors: Asheley C
authors: AC
authors: Skinner
authors: Eliana M
authors: EM
authors: Perrin
authors: Meera
authors: M
authors: Viswanathan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000009:adverse effects; D011320:Primary Health Care; D013405:Suicide; D014481:United States