Rates of depression among children and adolescents are estimated to be between five and ten percent, with girls having double the rates compared to boys. Depression in children and adolescents is associated with an increased risk of suicide, now the third leading cause of death among adolescents. Rates of suicide among adolescents and young adults are even higher in the San Francisco Bay Area compared to similar metropolitan areas. Childhood-onset depression often persists, recurs and continues into adulthood, frequently in a more severe form. Depression in young people is accompanied by psychological or somatic symptoms, behavioral manifestations or other mental illnesses such as anxiety disorders and substance abuse. Depression also commonly occurs in conjunction with serious or chronic illnesses such as diabetes, cystic fibrosis and epilepsy. The Mood Disorders Clinic serves children and adolescents up to age 18 who have as their primary problem mood disorders such as the following:
For referrals or additional information, please contact (650) 723-5511. Lucile Packard Children's Hospital is located in Palo Alto, adjacent to Stanford University Hospital, approximately 20 miles north of San Jose, CA and 40 miles south of San Francisco.
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