Dotsie, I'm a firm believer that therapy and meds have to go hand-in-hand, especially for first-time sufferers, and IMHO, it ought to be law for children! AD's without therapy are like putting a bandaid on a gunshot wound, or a paper bag over a ticking time-bomb.

Simply writing out a prescription for an anti-depressant for a child without ensuring proper therapy and frequent follow-ups amounts to neglect and child-abuse. AD's have proven to induce and aggravate suicidal tendencies in children.

Good compassionate therapy is admittedly often difficult to find. You might have to shop around to find the one that "clicks". And therapy can appear too financially prohibitive. But I think it's essential, at least for the first time, and during particularly difficult bouts, and especially for children, to invest in a good therapist.

Doctors tend to want to use psychiatrists, but in my experience, I have usually found a greater empathy and compassion in psychologists, some of whom have actually suffered through depression themselves and know first-hand what the sufferer is going through...which is why they've gone into this field, to help others find their way out.