Fifty children whose parents had a diagnosis of affective disorder were given a stuctured diagnostic interview by a child psychiatrist. The parents were also interviewed about their children. Fourteen per cent of the children were found to be depressed. Compared to the remaining children, the depressed children endorsed significantly more symptoms of attention deficit disorder, oppositional disorder, mania, overanxious disorder, phobia, and bulima in the interview. The parent's interview disclosed that the depressed children were abused significantly more than the non-depressed group.