ANXIETY AND WITHDRAWAL OF DEPRESSED 9-11 YEAR OLDS 3 YEARS LATER - A LONGITUDINAL-STUDY

This study is based on a sample of community-dwelling, depressed schoo lchildren and a control group of age-, school- and sex-matched peers. Out of an initial sample of 292 children, 23 were identified as depres sed and anxious, of whom 16 (11 boys and five girls) were referred to a psychiatric unit for standard treatment. The ratings of this group w ere repeated three years later when the children had reached early ado lescence. Social withdrawal and anxiety were rated by parents and self -reports as considerably stable phenomena in the depressed group, acro ss time, as compared to the control group. Depressed boys more often t han girls rated themselves as being withdrawn and anxious.