Depression and depressive-like states in preschool-age children in a child development unit.

A sample of 100 preschool-age children referred to a child development unit were evaluated using DSM-III criteria for symptoms of depression. Only four children (4%) received a diagnosis of possible or definite depression; one of the four children definitely had major depressive disorder. That prevalence rate is much lower than that reported for older children. The findings suggest either that major depressive disorder is rare among preschoolers or that DSM-III criteria are not suitable for diagnosing affective disorders among preschoolers.