Assessment of Depression in Medically Ill Children Presenting to Pedicare Specialty Clinics

• NCJ Number: 212496
• Journal: Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Volume: 44 Issue: 12 Dated: December 2005 Pages: 1249-1257
• Author(s): Eyal Shemesh M.D.; Rachel Yehuda Ph.D.; Lori Rockmore Psy.D; Benjamin L. Shneider M.D.; Sukru Emre M.D.; Abraham S. Bartell M.D.; James Schmeidler Ph.D.; Rachel M. Annunziato Ph.D.; Margaret L. Stuber M.D.; Jeffrey H. Newcorn M.D.
• Date Published: December 2005
• Length: 9 pages
• Grant Number(s): K08-MH63755
• Sponsoring Agency: National Ctr on Minority Health and Health Disparities
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study investigated the diagnostic accuracy of the Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI) in predicting the presence of depression in medically ill children who are suspected of having an emotional problem by their pediatricians.

Abstract

An impediment to arriving at recommendations, similar to adults, for screening children for depression in medical care settings is that the diagnosis of depression is especially complicated in children who are suffering from medical illnesses. However, recently the American Academy of Pediatrics endorsed the use of self-report questionnaires as aids to patients who are suspected of having emotional problems after an initial inquiry by the pediatrician. This study evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of the Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI) (a 27-item self-report questionnaire) in medically ill children who were referred for evaluation by their pediatricians and suspected of having an emotional problem. The results indicate that a self-report measure of depression (CDI) was significantly associated with, and could be used as a predictor of, the existence of either a major depressive disorder (MDD) or any depressive disorder in this group of suspected but not previously diagnosed medically ill children. Tables and references