While a child with an adjustment disorder may have some depressive features, a child with a major depression usually has persistent symptoms of depression.
Many types of depressions have significant biological components.
For example, there is a higher incidence of depression among children whose parents or grandparents have histories of depression. Depressions in some cases are precipitated by an environmental or traumatic event. In some cases major depressions appear to occur spontaneously. A major depression may include persistent symptoms of moo diness, ir ritability, anxiety, app etite and sle ep disturbance.