The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance -- the Nation's largest patient-directed, illness-specific organization -- convened a consensus conference in October 2000 for the purpose of drafting a statement that would profile the knowledge base for early-onset mood disorders and provide recommendations for remediation. The Consensus Group consisted of experts in child and adolescent psychiatry and psychology, pediatrics, epidemiology, and mental health advocacy. A review of relevant studies found high rates of unmet needs for children and adolescents with depression or bipolar disorder. The training necessary to diagnose and treat them is largely limited to child mental health specialists; general psychiatrists, pediatricians, and other primary care physicians receive little or no training in these areas. Consequently, treatment methods have reflected adult treatment techniques that have not been validated for children and youth. Although effective treatments have been achieved and some preliminary prevention models have been developed, they are not yet widely used. Patients typically have limited exposure to clinicians who are adequately trained to address their problems. The Consensus Group determined that national efforts are required to restructure health-care delivery and provide training. The Consensus Group also recommended more advanced research on pathophysiology, prevention, and service delivery effectiveness. 104 references