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American Academy of Pediatrics

  • Depression
  • Depressive Disorder
  • Suicide

Caring for Children and Adolescents with Depressive Disorders

Children and adolescents commonly present to primary care with concerns that may reflect depressive disorders, yet symptoms can be subtle, overlap with physical complaints, and vary by developmental stage. This course equips pediatric clinicians with a practical, stepwise approach to identifying depression in youth, beginning with age-appropriate screening strategies, including suicide risk screening, then moving to interpretation of results in the context of clinical presentation, rapport-building, and family engagement. Learners will also review evidence-informed early interventions and ongoing management in primary care, including safety planning, psychoeducation, treatment planning, coordination with schools and referral partners, and follow-up pathways. The course emphasizes actionable clinical workflows what to do next after a positive screen, how to match initial care to severity and age, and when to initiate active monitoring, brief psychosocial strategies (including behavioral activation), or pharmacotherapy and specialty referral so participants can provide timely, coordinated care that supports patients and families.

Credit & MOC Details

Credit information is provided by the course provider. We recommend confirming credit eligibility with the provider or your licensing board before starting the activity.

Credit types

AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™Up to 1 credit

MOC types

No MOC

FDA REMS

No

Qualifies for MIPS

No

Target Specialties

No specific specialties targeted.

Pricing

Membership pricing — $50–230 / year

This provider prices CME through membership. Individual courses may also be sold separately.

See plans on wcaap.org

Listed by the provider

  • Board review / self-assessment
  • Credit · Up to 1 credit
  • Membership pricing
  • Available from
    Oct 30, 2026
  • Last day to claim credit
    Oct 30, 2029 3 years left