Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Comparative Study
. 1999 Sep;56(9):794-801.
doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.56.9.794.

Children with prepubertal-onset major depressive disorder and anxiety grown up

M M Weissman  1 , S Wolk, P Wickramaratne, R B Goldstein, P Adams, S Greenwald, N D Ryan, R E Dahl, D Steinberg
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Children with prepubertal-onset major depressive disorder and anxiety grown up

M M Weissman et al. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1999 Sep.

Abstract

Background: The continuity in adulthood of major depressive disorder (MDD) first arising before puberty is largely unknown. This information could guide early treatment and clarify the appropriateness of including children with MDD in genetic studies.

Methods: Eighty-three subjects with onset of MDD, 44 subjects with anxiety disorder and no MDD, and 91 subjects with no evidence of past or current psychiatric disorders were assessed by two psychiatrists before puberty (Tanner stage < III) and were evaluated 10 to 15 years later as adults by an independent team without knowledge of the initial diagnosis.

Results: The clinical outcome of children with prepubertal-onset MDD in adulthood includes a high risk of suicide attempts (nearly 3-fold compared with normal controls and 2-fold compared with children with anxiety) and bipolar disorder. Compared with controls, both the children with MDD and those with anxiety went on to have increased risk of substance abuse and conduct disorder but not other disorders, increased use of longterm psychiatric and medical services, and overall impaired functioning. Children with prepubertal-onset MDD with a recurrence of MDD during follow-up had higher rates of MDD in their first-degree relatives.

Conclusions: There is high morbidity in clinically referred children with prepubertal-onset MDD and anxiety, but continuity and specificity of MDD or anxiety disorder in adulthood is less clear. Caution is warranted in selecting clinically referred children with prepubertal-onset MDD for inclusion in genetic studies unless they have a family history of MDD and recurrence of MDD over time.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

Publication types

MeSH terms