TY - JOUR
T1 - Major depression and dysthymia in children and adolescents
T2 - Discriminant validity and differential consequences in a community sample
AU - Goodman, Sherryl H.
AU - Schwab-Stone, Mary
AU - Lahey, Benjamin B.
AU - Shaffer, David
AU - Jensen, Peter S.
PY - 2000
Y1 - 2000
N2 - Objectives: To evaluate evidence, in a community sample, for discriminant validity between major depression (MDD) and dysthymia (Dy) in children and adolescents and to examine differential consequences of the 2 disorders for functioning. Method: The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Methods for the Epidemiology of Child and Adolescent Mental Disorders (MECA) study consists of probability samples of youths. Data for this study are derived from interviews with 1,285 complete parent-youth pairs aged 9 to 17 years from 4 geographic areas in the United States Youths with MDD were contrasted with those with Dy and those with both (MDD-Dy) on the NIMH Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children, Non-Clinician Children's Global Assessment Scale, Columbia Impairment Scale, and the Service Utilization and Risk Factors Module. Results: Groups with MDD, Dy, or MDD-Dy did not differ on sociodemographic, clinical, or family and life event variables. Youths with combined MDD-Dy were significantly less competent and more impaired than youths with either disorder alone. Conclusions: The findings do not provide support for the differentiation of MDD and Dy but strongly suggest the importance of addressing the needs of youths who meet criteria for both MDD and Dy because this combination is likely to be both serious and disruptive of normal developmental processes.
AB - Objectives: To evaluate evidence, in a community sample, for discriminant validity between major depression (MDD) and dysthymia (Dy) in children and adolescents and to examine differential consequences of the 2 disorders for functioning. Method: The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Methods for the Epidemiology of Child and Adolescent Mental Disorders (MECA) study consists of probability samples of youths. Data for this study are derived from interviews with 1,285 complete parent-youth pairs aged 9 to 17 years from 4 geographic areas in the United States Youths with MDD were contrasted with those with Dy and those with both (MDD-Dy) on the NIMH Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children, Non-Clinician Children's Global Assessment Scale, Columbia Impairment Scale, and the Service Utilization and Risk Factors Module. Results: Groups with MDD, Dy, or MDD-Dy did not differ on sociodemographic, clinical, or family and life event variables. Youths with combined MDD-Dy were significantly less competent and more impaired than youths with either disorder alone. Conclusions: The findings do not provide support for the differentiation of MDD and Dy but strongly suggest the importance of addressing the needs of youths who meet criteria for both MDD and Dy because this combination is likely to be both serious and disruptive of normal developmental processes.
KW - Discriminant validity
KW - Dysthymia
KW - Impairment
KW - Major depression
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0034075364&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0034075364&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1097/00004583-200006000-00015
DO - 10.1097/00004583-200006000-00015
M3 - Article
C2 - 10846311
AN - SCOPUS:0034075364
SN - 0890-8567
VL - 39
SP - 761
EP - 770
JO - Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
JF - Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
IS - 6
ER -