Children who have difficult relationships with peers may be depressed. But does depression really lead to problems in relationships, or do difficulties in relationships provoke depression? The study was conducted by scientists from the USA (from an institute in Arizona), they studied 480 children from fourth to sixth grades. In the spring of each year, children, their parents teachers were offered tests to detect depression. It turned out that depressed children in the fourth grade become victims of their peers in the fifth and sixth grades. The findings raise the question: “Do psychological problems cause difficulties in relationships, or do problems with peers lead to psychological problems and depression?” Karen Kochel: “Depression can in some cases leave a permanent scar that complicates the child’s developmental milestones, such as: the ability to establish normal relationships with peers, social development and others.” These data will allow teachers and parents to be more attentive to their children, promptly notice, and sometimes prevent the development of psychological problems, which will undoubtedly lead to minimizing negative consequences in the development of children. Mikhail Ozhirinsky - psychoanalyst, groupanalyst.