[Behavioral differences in childhood depression: study of blinking and auto-manipulation]

Different investigations have studied the evolution of childhood depression but little research has been based on the observation of behavior. This work aims at analysing two singular behaviors: eye blink and auto-manipulation. This paper compares the results obtained on day A(hospital admission, before treatment) and on day D (discharge, after clinical improvement) during a standardized interview recorded in video with children aged 8-13 years, hospitalized for a major depressive episode and for a control group. The results show a significant decrease in eye blink frequency and the mean auto-manipulation duration after clinical improvement. The discussion raises the question of the role of anxiety in the development of these behavioral modifications.