Low mood and depression in adolescence: clinical update.

British Journal of General Practice, May 2013 273 IntroduCtIon Low mood (dysthymia) in adolescence (11–19-years-old) is common. Estimates for depressive disorders from UK communitybased surveys suggest 10–14% of adolescents have a mental health problem that impacts on function; with anxiety and depression being the leading conditions.1 Prevalence of a diagnosed depressive disorder is reported to lie between 1–6%.2 The term ‘depression’, used both as a diagnostic category and also as a subjective description of mood, can be considered to cluster around changes in mood, thinking, and activity levels. Estimates of recovery suggest 10% of children and young people with depression improve spontaneously within 3 months but the condition is often both recurrent and persistent with 50% still depressed 12 months later.3 Gender differences post-puberty result in more young women reporting low mood, with young people living in disadvantaged households experiencing higher general psychological morbidity.