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The aim of the epidemiologic studies on depression in children and adolescents is to elucidate the nature of the disorder, in particular to verify the hypothesis of the dependence between the nature of adolescence and the occurrence of depression. Subjects with depressive features were identified from the representative sample of junior-school population, as well as from the early- and middle adolescents. The data regarding the course of the development of depressive and non-depressive probands obtained from parents interview were compared. Significant differences were found in the course of the development of depressive and non-depressive children as well as probands in the middle phase of the adolescence. There were no specific features in the course of the development in juvenile patients with the onset of depression in the early adolescence phase. Therefore, depression is more frequent among children in whom the early biological and social development is more disturbed. The infantile central nervous system's damage causes higher risk for depression in childhood. Depression in the early adolescence phase may be recognized as a specific developmental reaction, possibly connected with psychoendocrinologic puberty crisis. The onset of depression in the middle adolescent phase is connected with the difficulties of realization of developmental tasks. The infantile central nervous system's damage increases the risk for depression in that particular phase of life.