Childhood depression: a family perspective.

Etiological and maintaining patterns of childhood depression, system and social learning theories, as well as cognitive, behavioral and interpersonal approaches have been integrated to obtain a comprehensive model of depression. Family is emphasized as the context in which childhood depression originates, is maintained, and can be treated. Every individual is part of another's environment, and the reciprocity of cognitions, emotions and behavior produce and reinforce depression. In this paper, patterns of parent-child reciprocities producing or reinforcing depression in children are described. It is proposed that long-term benefits of treatment can only be expected when change occurs in both the depressed child and their significant others.