Childhood depression: an overlooked problem in family practice

To investigate the incidence and correlates of childhood depression in a family practice clinic, Kovacs Childhood Depression Inventory (CDI) was administered to 64 patients, aged 6 to 12 years. Accompanying parents completed the short form of Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI) and reported on the children's behavior problems. One half of the children studied scored within the depressed range on the CDI. Thirty-nine percent of the parents scored at least mildly depressed on the BDI. Depression appeared to cluster in families. Every parent who scored in the severe depression range was accompanying a child who rated himself or herself as depressed. All parents who scored above the cutoff for mild depression rated their children as having behavior problems. Children's self-reported depression was also related to negative parental rating of the children's behavior.