Seriously depressed preschoolers.

In a prospective and comprehensive evaluation (including DSM-III diagnoses) of 1,000 preschoolers in a child development unit, nine children were found to meet the criteria for major depressive disorder. The symptoms of these children are described and compared with those of a control group of children from the same sample. The diagnosis of major depressive disorder was associated with physical symptoms, including somatic complaints, and the likelihood of parental abuse or neglect.