Provided by David Satcher, M.D., Ph.D.
Surgeon General of the United States of America
Chapter 3: Children and Mental Health
Overview of Mental Disorders in Children
Depression and Suicide in Children and Adolescents
Prevalence
Dysthymic Disorder
The prevalence of dysthymic disorder in adolescents has been estimated at around
3 percent (Garrison et al., 1997). Before puberty, major depressive disorder and
dysthymic disorder are equally common in boys and girls (Rutter, 1986). But
after age 15, depression is twice as common in girls and women as in boys and
men (Weissman & Klerman, 1977; McGee et al., 1990; Linehan et al., 1993).
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