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Major and minor depression in female adolescents: onset, course, symptom presentation, and demographic associations
Author(s) -
Rohde Paul,
Beevers Christopher G.,
Stice Eric,
O'Neil Kelly
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
journal of clinical psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.124
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1097-4679
pISSN - 0021-9762
DOI - 10.1002/jclp.20629
Subject(s) - depression (economics) , psychology , major depressive disorder , ethnic group , epidemiology , psychiatry , age of onset , clinical psychology , demography , medicine , disease , cognition , sociology , anthropology , economics , macroeconomics
We examined the epidemiology and phenomenology of major depressive disorder (MDD) and minor depression among a community sample of 496 female adolescents. Diagnostic interviews were conducted annually for 7 years, allowing us to examine onset, course, and symptom presentation among participants 12 through 20 years old. Approximately 1 of 6 girls experienced MDD. MDD episodes had a mean duration of 5.3 months ( SD =4.2). One‐year prevalence for MDD peaked at age 16 (5.3%). White racial status and younger age were associated with greater worthlessness and suicidality during an MDD episode. One of 5 girls met criteria for minor depression. Adolescents from racial/ethnic minority groups were at especially high risk for minor depression. Adolescence is a high‐risk period for depression in young women, although its prevalence and phenomenology vary as a function of age and race/ethnicity. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Psychol 65: 1–11, 2009.