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Depressive related symptoms among preschool-age children

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Abstract

A parental survey of 241 preschoolers failed to document any major depressive disorder in this age group. The findings indicate that the prevalence of Major Depressive Disorder in preschoolers may be less than that of prepubertal and adolescent children; alternatively; modifications of the DSM III Criteria for Major Depression in Children under six years of age may be warranted. While cognizant of the shortcomings inherent in a study design based on a solitary source of information, the authors are unaware of any previous investigation addressing this issue.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Mid-Missouri Mental Health Center, Missouri, USA

    Javad H. Kashani MD, FRCP(C) (Associate Professor of Child Psychiatry and Director of Children and Adolescent Services) & Joel S. Ray PhD (Assistant Professor and Clinical Director of Child Development Unit)

  2. Department of Psychiatry, University of Missouri-Columbia, 803 Stadium Road, 65201, Columbia, Missouri, USA

    Javad H. Kashani MD, FRCP(C) (Associate Professor of Child Psychiatry and Director of Children and Adolescent Services) & Joel S. Ray PhD (Assistant Professor and Clinical Director of Child Development Unit)

Authors
  1. Javad H. Kashani MD, FRCP(C)
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  2. Joel S. Ray PhD
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The authors would like to thank Elva 0. Poznanski, M.D. for her critical comments about the manuscript.

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Kashani, J.H., Ray, J.S. Depressive related symptoms among preschool-age children. Child Psych Hum Dev 13, 233–238 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00709557

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00709557

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