Depressive disorder in Children

Background: Depressive disorder is common in children yet remains under diagnosed due to the fact that the children differ from the adults in the presentation and symptomatology. Methods: Thirty two children diagnosed MDD as per DSM IV criteria were compared with twenty adult patients diagnosed as MDD by similar criteria. Comparison was made on symptomatology, socio-demographic variables and family history of Affective disorders. Results: A non-significant difference between the two groups was seen. Conclusions: Awareness and possibly sensitive criteria are needed to detect the cases of mild to moderate depression in children. Key words: Depression, children, and somatic symptom