Cognitive functioning in depressed children and adolescents

Findings from a literature survey show that depressed children and adolescents often exhibit indications of cognitive deficit, particularly when their performance level on several complex cognitive tasks is compared with that of nondepressed subjects. Depressed children are described as being anxious, tense, perfectionistic, and unassertive, displaying a low level of self-esteem. Using a high-risk model, the theoretical and practical implications of the survey findings are discussed, along with the need for further studies on children of depressed parents.