Major depressive disorder (MDD) in children is a subject of much recent interest in psychiatry. In addition to the direct effects of MDD on learning and cognition in general, some investigators have suggested that there may be relationships of MDD to learning disabilities in general or to dysfunction to the right hemisphere of the brain in particular. In this report I briefly review the basis for these ideas, suggest some testable hypotheses, and discuss the potential implications of the hypotheses for educators and mental health professionals.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Akiskal, H.S., Dysthymic disorder: psychopathology of proposed chronic depressive subtypes. Amer J. Psychiatry, 1983140:11–20.
2.
American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, 1980.
3.
Brumback, R.A. and Staton, R.D.Learning disabilities and childhood depression. Amer J. Orthopsychiatr. 1983;53:269–281.
4.
Brumback, R.A., Staton, R.D. and Wilson, H.Neuropsychological study of children during and after remission of endogenous depressive episodes. Percept. Mot. Skills.1980:50:1163–1167.
5.
Brumback, R. and Weinberg, W.Childhood depression: an explanation of a behavior disorder of children. Percept. Mot. Skills1977:44:911–916.
6.
Gardner, R.Therapeutic communication with children: The mutual storytelling technique. New York, Science Home, 1971.
7.
Kashani, J.H., Cantwell, D.P., Shekim, W.O., et al. Major depressive disorder in children admitted to an inpatient community mental health center. Amer. J. Psychiatr.1982; 139:671–672.
8.
Livingston, R., Guthrie, A., and Ringdahl, I.C., A one to ten year follow up of children with symptoms of depression. Submitted for publication.
9.
Ringdahl, I.C., Depressive reactions in children and adolescents. Psychosomatics1980;21:930–938.
10.
Rutter, M., Syndromes attributed to minimal brain dysfunction in childhood. Amer. J. Psychiatr.1982: 139:21–33.
11.
Silberman, E.K., Weingartner, H., Stillman, R.et al, Altered lateralization of cognitive processes in depressed women. Amer. J. Psychiatr.1983; 140: 1340–1344.
12.
Staton, D., Wilson, H., and Brumback, R., Cognitive improvement associated with tricyclic antidepressant treatment of childhood major depressive illness. Percept. Mot. Skills1981:53:219–234.
13.
Walzer, S. and Richmond, J., The epidemiology of learning disorders. Pediatr. Clin. N. Amer.1973:20:549–566.
14.
Welner, Z., Childhood depression: an overview. J. Nerv. Ment. Dis.1978:166:588–593.
15.
Whitney, W., Cadoret, R.J., and McClure, J.N., Depressive symptoms and academic performance in college students. Amer. J. Psychiatr.1971:128: 766–770.
16.
Woodruff, R.A., Goodwin, D.W., and Guze, S. B., Psychiatric Diagnosis. New York, Oxford, 1974.
17.
Yozewitz, A., Bruder, G., Sutton, S. et al. Dichotic perception: evidence for right hemisphere dysfunction in affective psychosis. Brit. J. Psychiatr.1979:35:224–227.
