Depression and relational withdrawal, in the young child: A critical analysis of the literature and propositions

In spite of its frequent clinical usage, the term of early depression remai ns unclearly defined has no diagnostic criteria nor validated toots for its assessment. This article provides a review pf the different contributions to the subject beginning with the description by Spitz. It points out the c onfusions and obscurities connected to the concept initially, in particular , as it related to separation and deficient maternal care, and presently as it relates to maternal depression. It proposes the idea that anaclitic dep ression should be put in the category of attachment disorders during the pe riod when it is being established rather than, in the category of depressio n as such. The concept of relational withdrawal is useful to describe the s emiology before the constitution, of the depressive organization. This with drawal behavior represents an alarm signal which should be taken into accou nt, but which is difficult to discern. Early depression, in, its strict sen se, appears to be observable in children as young as two and a half, in pre cise relational circumstances of the 'learned helplessness' type. Animal mo dels using dogs and cats have shown us the forms of transition between earl y depression, attachment disorders and anxiety of disorders. This study dis cusses the relationship between severe kinds of malnutrition like Kwashiork or and delayed growth in a framework of early depression. The clarification of the notion of early depression should make it possible to carry out mor e in-depth research on this subject so as to specify the semiology, the evo lution and the links between early depression and other early childhood pat hologies, particularly attachment disorders and the pervasive developmental disorders.