INCIDENCE, COMORBIDITY AND PSYCHOSOCIAL PROBLEMS IN DEPRESSIVE-DISORDERS AMONG ADOLESCENTS - RESULTS OF THE BREMER ADOLESCENT STUDY

In this report, we present some data from the Bremer Adolescent Study on the frequency, comorbidity, and psychosocial impairment of depressi ve disorders in the 12 to 17 year olds. A high proportion of our adole scents met the lifetime criteria for depressive disorders according to DSM-TV criteria, with a rate of 17,9%. Depressive disorders were sign ificantly higher in females than in males. The rates for all the disor ders increased with age, with the greatest increase occurring mostly b etween age 14 to 15 years; such increase was more prominent in females than in males. Our results imply the importance of identifying depres sive disorders in adolescence, and the need for preventive and interve ntion strategies.