A survey sent to 172 British professionals working with people who have learning difficulties examined their knowledge of symptoms or behaviors indicative of possible depressive disorders. Results indicated a relatively high baseline level of knowledge about depression and an enthusiasm for further training. (Contains references.) (Author/DB)

Background: Both the professional and the general media have recently published concerns about an "epidemic" of child and adolescent depression. Reasons for this concern include (1) increases in antidepressant prescriptions, (2) retrospective recall by successive birth cohorts of adults, (3) rising adolescent suicide rates until 1990,…