Adolescent depression and the treatment gap

Adolescence is an important risk period for the development of depression, when the rates of major depressive disorder and symptoms of depression rise markedly.1 Depressive symptoms and disorders are common in adolescence and are associated with poor long-term mental health, social, and educational outcomes. Adolescent major depressive disorder is often unrecognised and untreated despite evidence that duration of untreated depressive illness is a key factor in predicting recurrence in adult life.