Major depressive disorder, or MDD, may affect up to twenty percent of the adult population. The recognition of depression as a serious and common mental disorder has been vital in the identification and treatment of depression in adults. Leaps and bounds have been made in the field of depression research. The widespread recognition of the many possible causes of depression, including chemical imbalances with genetic or medical origins as well as traumatic life events, has made it possible for those suffering from depression to openly seek treatment options and discuss their depression without necessarily feeling the same overwhelming shame and isolation that were inevitable in generations past. Depression is more likely to be identified in an affected individual by family members, physicians, or others because of the public information that is available for professionals and the common people. Research is constantly revealing new treatment options, identifying causal factors, and overall quickly improving the outlook for depressed adult individuals. .

             Unfortunately, there exist a significant number of individuals suffering from depression that are not benefiting from the research developments, educational campaigns, and treatment options that have changed the outlook for so many others. Childhood depression has been an under-recognized disorder. However, ignoring childhood depression does not make this problem disappear. For many years, it was believed that young children simply do not have the mental or emotional capacity to become affected by depression. Symptoms which would have been telltale of this disorder in an adult have been dismissed as shy or rebellious behavior, or completely misdiagnosed as another disorder, such as a learning disability. Parents, teachers, and others involved with children remain uneducated about childhood depression. Researchers may be reluctant to focus on the difficult topic of childhood depression.