Primary and secondary affective disorders in adolescents and young adults

The concepts of primary and secondary affective disorders have become widely accepted by researchers of adult psychiatric disorders. They are based on the chronological development of certain specified major affective disorders in relation to diagnosable, nonaffective psychiatric disorders. Despite potential etiological implications, little data are currently available on the primary-secondary classification applied to cases with early onset adolescent and young adulthood affective disorders. This study reports on the application and clinical implications of the primary-secondary classification in a sample of 65 adolescent and young adult inpatients who meet Research Diagnostic Criteria (RDC) for an index episode of Major Depressive Disorder.