Preschoolers Can Suffer Chronic Depression: Study

A new study reaches the at once fascinating and troubling result that preschoolers as young as three can suffer one of the most debilitating mental illnesses we know of: chronic depression.

An Associated Press story reports some of the study's main details:







Here's the abstract of the study. The study's conclusions, according to the abstract:

Preschool depression, similar to childhood depression, is not a developmentally transient syndrome but rather shows chronicity and/or recurrence... These results underscore the clinical and public health importance of identification of depression as early as preschool. Further follow-up of preschoolers with depression is warranted to inform the longitudinal course throughout childhood.

What makes this study so interesting is, if it's borne out by further research that some preschoolers do indeed have chronic depression, then it raises a huge challenge. How will mental health professionals effectively treat these children?

Not nearly enough is known about how antidepressant drugs, a major treatment for people with depression affect such young minds, including their long-term brain development. Presumably, cognitive behavior play therapy which is often used in children this age, would be part of the therapy. But, again, the potential use of powerful antidepressants in such young patients is enough to give many people pause.




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