The diagnosis and treatment of major depressive disorder in childhood.

The authors review the evidence supporting the hypothesis of similarity or identity of prepubertal and adult major depressive disorders and give a state-of-the-art account of current assessment techniques, diagnosis, and treatment methods of prepubertal major depression. This is an area of child psychiatry where recent psychobiological research advances are fueling profound changes in traditional nosology and therapeutics. In addition, further understanding of early onset major depression is likely to throw considerable light on the nature and pathophysiology of depressive illness across ages.