Handbook of Depression in Children and Adolescents

J.R.Z. Abela & B.L. Hankin ( Eds ) New York : The Guilford Press , 2008 . pp . 530 . £43.50 (hb) . ISBN: 978-1-59385-582-6 . This is a comprehensive and well written book that examines the epidemiology, causes, treatment and prevention of depression in children and adolescents. The authors are international experts in their fields who review and discuss the enormous developments in this area that have been made over the last decade. The approach is interdisciplinary, examining depression in the young within a vulnerability-stress and developmental psychopathological framework. Each section attempts to link research and theory with approaches to treatment and prevention. Areas for future research are mapped out and discussed. The chapters on the behavioural genetic approaches to depression (Lau & Eley) and the special populations (children of depressed mothers, suicidal behaviour in youth and child abuse and neglect) are particularly interesting, whilst the chapters on treatment suffer from publication delay and the recent research in this area. I would recommend this book to clinicians and scientists wanting to update their knowledge as well as to students learning about the subject.