Major Depressive Disorder, Single Episode

You said that your child has had a time where s/he was sad or irritable most of the day. You said that s/he felt this way almost every day for 2 weeks or longer.

During this time you said your child had some of the following problems:

• Crying
• Doesn't want to do things s/he used to enjoy
• Eats too much or too little
• Has problems falling asleep or waking up too early
• Has too little or too much energy
• Feels worthless
• Has little or no hope
• Can't stay on task
• Feels bad him/herself
• Thinks about death
• Thinks about hurting or killing him/herself

Your child may be having some trouble at home or other places because of his/her sadness. For example, s/he may be having more temper tantrums or avoid other children. S/he may be having problems getting along with you or other adults. Children who have these problems often have something called Major Depressive Disorder, Single Episode. These types of problems are commonly referred to as "depression".

Preschoolers who are "being bad" may really be depressed. Because they may not always seem sad, some parent or teachers may miss the real problem.

Depression is pretty common in children. Children under a lot of stress have a higher chance of getting depressed. Depression tends to run in families.

Preschoolers with behavior problems may really be depressed, but their caregivers mistake them for "being bad." Because the youngster may not always seem sad, parents and teachers may not realize that acting out or misbehaving is sometimes a sign of depression.

Adapted in part from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Primary Care (DSM-PC) (1996) and the American Psychiatric Association Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) (1994) .