Depression in children is qualitatively different from depression in adults: these people are more at risk of more serious illnesses even in adulthood, which suggests that depression in young people has the potential to be particularly problematic. 60% of adolescents with depression will have relapses in adulthood and will also have a higher suicide rate later in life (Clark, Jansen, & Cloy, 2012). Symptoms of childhood depression may be confused with normal mood swings pertaining to changing developmental stages and are often presented as irritability and negative attitudes. The diagnosis of depression in children is for this reason difficult, and therefore it should be emphasized how much attention must be paid when diagnosing a mental illness in children (“Depression”, 2014). Additionally, there is a stigma against labeling a child as depressed, which could make diagnosing depression in children even more difficult. An example of this is how doctors may be quick to diagnose children with adjustment disorder (AD) rather than considering the possibility of diagnosing one of the more serious, long-term depressive disorders. The nature of AD is that it is a “temporary” psychological reaction to an identified stressor that results in impairment in social, work, or school functioning. This reaction must occur within 3 months of encountering the stressor and cannot last more than 6 months (Newcorn, JH & Strain, J, 1992). This is related to the historical notion that children cannot be depressed, although psychology as a field has evolved to recognize that children and adolescents can be depressed. The diagnostic criteria are similar for children and adolescents, but the symptoms present differently. .... middle of paper ......-760.Newcorn, J. H. & Strain, J. (1992). Adjustment disorder in children and adolescents. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 31(2), pp. 318-326. Nolen-Hoeksema, S. (2001). Gender differences in depression. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 10, pp. 173-176.Rice, Frances. (2009). The genetics of depression in childhood and adolescence. Current Psychiatry Reports, 11(2), pp. 167-173. Sullivan, P. F., Neale, M. C., & Kendler, K. S. (2000). Genetic epidemiology of major depression: review and meta-analysis. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 157, pp. 1552-1562. Weisz, J. R., Southam-Gerow, M. A., & McCarty, C. A., (2001). Control-related beliefs and depressive symptoms in clinic-referred children and adolescents: Developmental differences and model specificity. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 110(1), pp. 97-109.