Durham, N.C. - We think of childhood as a carefree time, but for some young people it's a period when they may be at risk for major depression. Dr. John March, chief of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Duke University Medical Center, says the problem of childhood depression is greater than most of us realize.

"Although it used to be thought that depression didn't occur in children or adolescents, it turns out that it's actually quite common. About one in 20 kids, that's five percent of kids, will have a major depressive episode."

March says parents and teachers should be alert to changes in a child's behavior: loss of interest in friends and activities, changes in sleep patterns, loss of appetite, trouble concentrating or suicidal thoughts or behaviors. As for treating childhood depression, he says there's good news about talk therapy and medication, either separately or in combination.

"Cognitive behavioral psychotherapy and interpersonal psychotherapy, administered weekly over a period of about three months, are both effective in about 60 to 70 percent of kids with major depression. The serotonin reuptake inhibitors, medicines like Prozac and Zoloft, are also effective treatments for major depression."