Development and evaluation of a diagnostic algorithm for depression in childhood.

This paper describes the development and validation of a brief questionnaire intended for the rapid assessment of depression in childhood. It is primarily a clinical interview but there is an associated algorithm for the diagnosis of a syndrome of depression. It can equally be used for the clinical diagnosis of a depressive disorder. The current battery includes features representative both of "depressive cognitions" and "endogenous depression". However, it is less effective in the identification of a syndrome of endogenous depression than depressive cognitions.