Adolescent outpatients with depressive disorders: clinical characteristics and treatment received

Depressive disorders constitute a common clinical problem. However, research on psychosocial impairment and treatment-related factors among adolescent outpatients with different diagnoses of depression is scarce. This study aimed at investigating consecutively referred outpatient adolescents with depressive syndrome compared with psychiatric controls. We also compared those with major depression (MDD), other depressive disorders (OD), or adjustment disorder with depressed mood (ADDM) in terms of psychosocial impairment and treatment received in a sample of 302 consecutively referred adolescent outpatients. Psychosocial impairment was most severe in MDD. Comorbidity with anxiety disorders characterized those with MDD, whereas antisocial disorders were common among those with OD. Psychosocial treatment was more intensive and psychotropic medication more prevalent in patients with MDD compared with those with OD or ADDM. All the depressed patients receiving psychotropic medication had additional psychosocial treatments. Psychosocial functioning improved in all three groups (MDD, OD, ADDM), whether their treatment involved only psychotherapeutic treatments or additional psychotropic medication. Adolescents with different diagnoses of depression have specific psychosocial impairments that have to be taken into account in developing psychiatric treatments for them.