Chinese Mental Health Journal 2010;24(3):211-214

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1000-6729.2010.03010

Epidemiological investigation on depression among 6~16 years old children and adolescents in Chengdu

Guoying ZHANG ; Yanchun YANG ; Yi HUANG ; Shujun LIU ; Xueli SUN

Keywords

depression disorder; children and adolescents; epidemiology; cross-sectional study

Country

China

Language

Chinese

Abstract

Objective: To explore the prevalence and co-morbidity in depression disorder among children and adolescents in Chengdu City. Methods: Using a one-phase design, 4S8S children and adolescents in grades 1~10 were assessed with the Strength and Difficulty questionnaire (SDQ) and Development and Well-Being Assessment (DAWBA) . A structured interview with verbatim reports was reviewed by clinicians so that information from parents, teachers, and children were combined in a manner that emulated the clinical process. Results: (1) The rate of depressive disorder was 1.2% , and that in girls was much higher than that in boys after 12 years old (2.56% vs. 1.42%) . (2) The rate of depressive disorder increased with age from 0.10% (6~8 years) to 2.59% (≥ 15 years) . (3) The co-morbidity was 40% . The most common comorbidity diagnosis was anxiety disorders (29.1%) and behavior disorders (25.5%) . Conclusion: The prevalence of depressive disorder among children and adolescents in Chengdu is 1.2%. Gender and age may be the related factors. The co-morbidity is common in children and adolescents with depression disorder.