ABSTRACT
Depression and anxiety are more difficult to assess and diagnose in special populations, such as child and adolescent and geriatric age groups, in the medically ill and in different cultural groups. The symptoms of mood and anxiety disorders are often quite different in children. When depressed, children (and adolescents) often become irritable, withdraw from others, or stop playing rather than showing sad mood or loss of pleasure. Instead of weight loss, they may not reach expected weight for age. Instead of subjective anxiety, children may cry, throw temper tantrums, freeze up or avoid interactions with unfamiliar people. Children may also not recognize that symptoms are excessive or unreasonable, for example, in obsessions and compulsions or in social anxiety. In post traumatic stress disorder, children may respond to trauma with disorganized or agitated behaviour instead of fearfulness. They may also re-enact the trauma or themes of the trauma in play, or have frightening dreams without recollection of content. In social anxiety disorder, children
