Child and Adolescent Depression Clinic
The Stanford Child and Adolescent Depression Clinic accepts referrals from families and from medical and mental health professionals seeking assessment and treatment for children and adolescents who may be depressed. The clinic is under the direction of Frances Wren MD, a board- certified, faculty child and adolescent psychiatrist with expertise both in psychotherapy and medication treatment for child and adolescent depression. Clinical services are provided by faculty and staff child and adolescent psychiatrists and psychologists and by advanced trainees in child and adolescent psychiatry, psychology and adolescent medicine. The clinic has a particular interest in working with other professionals in the community (in mental health, pediatrics and primary health care) to provide collaborative care for depressed children and adolescents.
Conditions Treated
- Unipolar Depressive Disorders (Major Depressive Disorder, Dysthymic Disorder, Minor or Unspecified Depressive Disorder).
- Adjustment Disorders with depressive features, including prolonged grief.
- Depression occurring in the context of medical illness, injury or chronic pain.
Services Provided
- Children and adolescents who appear to be depressed, including those referred for specific services (e.g. the Pediatric Depression Psychopharmacology Clinic or the Adolescent Group Psychotherapy Program) are scheduled for an initial, comprehensive psychiatric assessment and treatment planning session (2-3 hours).
- Extended diagnostic evaluation for children and adolescents with more complex conditions that may require further testing and more than one assessment visit.
- An individualized treatment plan is developed for each child entering treatment which includes some or all of the following:
- Individual psychotherapy for depressed children and adolescents
- Consultation with families to support recovery of depressed children and adolescents in treatment at the clinic.
- Consultation with schools to support the recovery and academic success of depressed children and adolescents in treatment at the clinic
- Pediatric Depression Pharmacotherapy Clinic (assesses the need for anti-depressant medication and, where indicated, prescribes and monitors medication treatment).
- Group psychotherapy for depressed adolescents.