Amidst the battle of the mental health crisis, major depressive disorder stands out as an all-too-common reality for many children and adolescents, but the forces of science and medicine can stand against this foe. Dr. Christopher Drescher, a clinical child psychologist, joins pediatric resident Dr. Daniel Allen and medical student Vuk Lacmanovic to remove the cape from this increasingly common condition and discuss its symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment. Specifically, they will: Define major depressive disorder (MDD) and recognize the common symptoms in both children and adolescents. Formulate a differential diagnosis for patients presenting with depressive symptoms. Recognize validated screening tools for depression in both children and adolescents. Review cognitive behavioral therapy and pharmacotherapy as treatment options. Review appropriate referral to a mental health specialist. Free CME Credit (requires sign-in): https://mcg.cloud-cme.com/course/courseoverview?P=0&EID=12493  References: Bhatia SK, Bhatia SC. Childhood and adolescent depression. Am Fam Physician. 2007 Jan 1;75(1):73-80. PMID: 17225707. Brent DA, Maalouf F. Depressive Disorders (in Childhood and Adolescence). In: Ebert MH, Leckman JF, Petrakis IL. eds. Current Diagnosis & Treatment: Psychiatry, 3e. McGraw-Hill; Accessed November 17, 2020. https://accessmedicine.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?bookid=2509&sectionid=200807606 Clark MS, Jansen KL, Cloy JA. Treatment of childhood and adolescent depression. Am Fam Physician. 2012 Sep 1;86(5):442-8. PMID: 22963063. Fendrich M, Weissman MM, Warner V. Screening for depressive disorder in children and adolescents: validating the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale for Children. Am J Epidemiol. 1990 Mar;131(3):538-51. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a115529. PMID: 2301363. (PDF of CES-DC here) Forman-Hoffman V, McClure E, McKeeman J, Wood CT, Middleton JC, Skinner AC, Perrin EM, Viswanathan M. Screening for Major Depressive Disorder in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Ann Intern Med. 2016 Mar 1;164(5):342-9. doi: 10.7326/M15-2259. Epub 2016 Feb 9. PMID: 26857836. Hathaway EE, Walkup JT, Strawn JR. Antidepressant Treatment Duration in Pediatric Depressive and Anxiety Disorders: How Long is Long Enough? Curr Probl Pediatr Adolesc Health Care. 2018 Feb;48(2):31-39. doi: 10.1016/j.cppeds.2017.12.002. Epub 2018 Jan 12. PMID: 29337001; PMCID: PMC5828899. March JS, Silva S, Petrycki S, Curry J, Wells K, Fairbank J, Burns B, Domino M, McNulty S, Vitiello B, Severe J. The Treatment for Adolescents With Depression Study (TADS): long-term effectiveness and safety outcomes. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2007 Oct;64(10):1132-43. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.64.10.1132. Erratum in: Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2008 Jan;65(1):101. PMID: 17909125. Meister R, Abbas M, Antel J, Peters T, Pan Y, Bingel U, Nestoriuc Y, Hebebrand J. Placebo response rates and potential modifiers in double-blind randomized controlled trials of second and newer generation antidepressants for major depressive disorder in children and adolescents: a systematic review and meta-regression analysis. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2020 Mar;29(3):253-273. doi: 10.1007/s00787-018-1244-7. Epub 2018 Dec 8. PMID: 30535589; PMCID: PMC7056684. Rachel A. Zuckerbrot, Amy Cheung, Peter S. Jensen, Ruth E.K. Stein, Danielle Laraque and GLAD-PC STEERING GROUP. Guidelines for Adolescent Depression in Primary Care (GLAD-PC): Part I. Practice Preparation, Identification, Assessment, and Initial Management. Pediatrics March 2018, 141 (3) e20174081; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2017-4081 Scott K, Lewis CC, Marti CN. Trajectories of Symptom Change in the Treatment for Adolescents With Depression Study. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2019 Mar;58(3):319-328. doi: 10.1016/j.jaac.2018.07.908. Epub 2019 Jan 8. PMID: 30768414; PMCID: PMC6557284. Sharma T, Guski LS, Freund N, Gøtzsche PC. Suicidality and aggression during