In this Sunday’s issue of The New York Times Magazine, I have an article about preschool depression. The questions I ask are, first off, Is there such a thing as clinical depression in preschoolers? If so, how can you diagnosis such a disorder when three- and four year olds are generally unable to articulate their emotions with any degree of sophistication?
I worked on this story for almost a year, trying to show both sides — really, ALL sides because it’s such a complicated issue — of the story. Some readers may say, off the bat, that it’s impossible for young children to have a mental disorder. That the problem is parents or overreaching professionals or the pharmaceutical industry. Others will be appalled that the question of early onset depression can even be in doubt. Many of those readers will probably have experienced or witnessed familial depression in their own lives. I hoped to fairly represent both points of views, and the many nuanced views that lie in between.
So far, the story seems to be generating a good response, and their are lots of comments on Facebook as well as on Tara Parker-Pope’s Well blog. I’d love to hear from other readers here about what you think of the story and of the issue in general.