UNMASKING UNMASKED DEPRESSION - IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS - THE PROBLEM OF COMORBIDITY

The unmasking of childhood depression has stimulated considerable research, but the field has drifted unintentionally toward the reification of childhood depression as an entity. In turn, the reification, often embodied in the form of diagnostic categorization, may contribute to premature closure on our understanding of childhood and adolescent depression. One of the major underemphasized characteristics of depression is that it rarely occurs by itself in children. Comorbidity is the rule rather than the exception, and thus, much of what we think we know about the disorder may be shaped by its co-occurrence with other disorders and symptoms. Accordingly, we discuss the conceptual and measurement issues in depression in youngsters, identify the extent of comorbidity, and then discuss some of the implications of comorbidity. Several research issues are raised concerning exploration of the meaning of comorbidity and its possible origins.