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Should depression in young school-children be diagnosed with different criteria?

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Abstract

In a two-stage epidemiological study 5686 randomly selected 8 to 9-year-old children were screened using the CDI (Children's Depression Inventory), of whom 418 were questioned with the DISC-C1 (Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children). According to DSM-III criteria the prevalence of MDD (Major Depressive Disorders) was 0.48% and of DD (Dysthymic Disorder) 0.06%. The prevalence rates did not change when DSM-111-R and DSM-IV criteria were employed. Fifteen children reported suicidal thoughts but according to DSM-III criteria only 1 of these children was depressed. Duration and frequency of depressive symptoms are essential for making a diagnosis of depressive disorder by the DSM-III, but children's reliability in reporting them is questionable. Omitting the duration and frequency of symptoms from the DSM-111 criteria raised the prevalence of MDD to 4.0% and of DD to 2.2%. Eight of the children with suicidal thoughts were depressed. By the adapted DSM-III-R and DSM-IV criteria the prevalence rate of MDD was 4.0% and of DD 9.7%.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Tampere School of Public Health, University of Tampere, P.O. Box 607, 33101, Tampere, Finland

    K. Puura & A. M. Koivisto

  2. Tampere University Medical School and Tampere University Hospital, P.O. Box 607, 33101, Tampere, Finland

    T. Tamminen

  3. Department of Child Psychiatry, Helsinki University Hospital, Lastenlinnantie 2, 00250, Helsinki, Finland

    F. Almgvist

  4. Department of Child Psychiatry, Kuopio University Hospital, P.O. Box 1777, 70211, Kuopio, Finland

    K. Kumpulainen

  5. Department of Child Psychiatry, Turku University Hospital, Kiinanmyllynkatu 4-8, 20520, Turku, Finland

    K. Kresanov

  6. Department of Child Psychiatry, Oulu University Hospital, P.O. Box 22, 90221, Oulu, Finland

    I. Moilanen

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  1. K. Puura
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Puura, K., Tamminen, T., Almgvist, F. et al. Should depression in young school-children be diagnosed with different criteria?. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry 6, 12–19 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00573635

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00573635

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