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Cognitive and Behavioral Treatment of Childhood Depression

  • Chapter
Behavioral Approaches for Children and Adolescents

Abstract

Historically there has been much debate about the existence and nature of depressive disorders during childhood. During the 1980s a consensus emerged within the literature that depressive disorders exist and that they are expressed in much the same fashion as adult variants with some developmental differences. Depressive disorders during childhood appear to be more common and of longer duration than previously thought. Onset of a depressive disorder during childhood is a risk factor for later episodes and impacts all areas of the youngster’s psychosocial functioning, the youngster’s family system, the parent-childs dyads, and has potentially life-threatening consequences. Perhaps due to a recognition of the seriousness of the disorder and the growing number of youths affected by it, research in the area has mushroomed over the past 15 years. Numerous advances have been made in our understanding of the nature of the disorder, its impact on the youngster and his or her family, its course, common cooccuring disturbances, and how to assess it. However, issues surrounding the treatment of depressed children have been sorely neglected and few developmentally sensitive treatment models have been proposed.

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  1. Department of Educational Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, 78712-1296, USA

    Kevin D. Stark & Anne Smith

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  1. Pedologisch Institut, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

    Henck P. J. G. van Bilsen  & Jan H. Slavenburg  & 

  2. Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

    Philip C. Kendall

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Stark, K.D., Smith, A. (1995). Cognitive and Behavioral Treatment of Childhood Depression. In: van Bilsen, H.P.J.G., Kendall, P.C., Slavenburg, J.H. (eds) Behavioral Approaches for Children and Adolescents. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-9406-9_10

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