A Parent's Nightmare

Estimates of the incidence of childhood depression vary quite a bit, but conservatively, it is thought that 6% of adolescents and 2% of younger children are depressed (Weissman, Bland, Canino, Faravelli, & Greenwald, 1996). Using their experience as clinicians and clinical researchers at Ohio State University studying the treatment of children with mood disorders, Fristad and Goldberg-Arnold offer a clearly written, comprehensive discussion of depression and bipolar disorder in children and adolescents. Their review of the challenges of diagnosis and different methods to treat depression reflects a working familiarity with current psychological and psychiatric research, although this book (“Raising a Moody Child” see record 2004-95082-000) is written for parents. Reports of the authors' own research as well as the research of others is well integrated into the text. Parents will find the clear discussion of symptom patterns of depression in children especially valuable. The thoroughness of this book should also make it useful for teachers, counselors, and other child care workers; who are often the first to encounter youngsters outside the home and are called upon to make decisions about referral for psychological evaluation and treatment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved)