ABSTRACT
A diagnosis of depression is a dramatic intervention for a young person, as well as for those around them: the family. It was also an issue for the clinicians within the Project. This chapter discusses the main ideas that have emerged: clinical issues; issues for professionals working with the families of depressed children; research issues; understanding childhood depression; and then some final thoughts arising from the Project. Within such a group of very troubled children, risk management was an issue, and during the course of the Project serious concerns arose for a number of the young people. Where there were Child Protection concerns, the therapists liaised with the Local Authority in the usual way. Intergenerational issues were very real, with the extent of depression and mental health issues in the families ever present. The chapter also presents some closing thoughts on the key concepts discussed in the preceding chapters of this book.
