BILLINGS - A new study says kids as young as 3 years old can have chronic depression. But the findings become controversial among some psychiatrists when the question of how to treat the condition arises.

The typical preschooler is happy go lucky. But a new study funded by the National Institute of Mental Health says depression can be chronic even in youngsters. "They have that lack of pleasure, even when they're playing, they're just not having fun," said Dr. Lyle Seavey, the Director of Psychiatric Services at Billings Clinic.

Seavey says with kids as well as adults, depression can be attributed to multiple factors, such as genetics, family situations and chemical imbalances. But doctors are sometimes hesitant to diagnose the condition when the patient is so young. "In the minds of a lot of people the fastest way to treat a psychiatric illness is with psychiatric medicine; but the fastest isn't always the best."

Seavey says if your child has symptoms, talk to your pediatrician and maybe see a counselor, someone who's good with kids. "A lot of times what we did was we played and afterwards we talked about what was fun and what wasn't fun," said Seavey about his work with children who suffered from depression. While depression in very young kids is rare, only about 2% have been diagnosed with it, doctors say early treatment is important, otherwise it can have a lasting effect on the child's social and emotional development.

Another doctor who has studied childhood depression says there is little research on the effects of psychiatric medicine in very young children and therapy should always be tried first.