Abstract
Depression in children and adolescents is a serious recurrent disorder with adverse social consequences, social isolation and a high risk of suicidal behavior. Depressive symptoms vary in different age categories.
The article provides a basic overview of the epidemiology, etiology, clinical picture, differential diagnosis, course, pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy of depressive disorder in children and adolescents. It also reflects the fact that the incidence of depressive symptoms in children and adolescents increased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The development of depressive disorder in childhood and adolescence is associated with an unfavorable course - the occurrence of frequent depressive episodes during life and a higher risk of suicidal behavior, higher comorbidity of psychiatric and somatic diseases and poorer quality of life than depressive disorder that develops later. Early identification and treatment alleviate the negative effects of the disease, yet depression in children and adolescents often remains unrecognized and untreated.