The New York Times  reports of an Australian study of childhood depression that found that the factors usually associated with childhood depression such as dysfunctional families and poor communication styles had little effect on whether a child becomes depressed. Dr. Jake Najman, the lead
author and a professor of sociology at the University of Queensland says, "If what we have found is correct, then depression in children has a large constitutional component" that
is transmitted either genetically or by exposure to risks before or
during pregnancy.