, June 17 -- How children respond to simple facial expressions such as smiles and frowns may provide early clues about their risk of developing depression, according to a new study by researchers at Binghamton University.

The research found that depression can affect the way children pay attention to emotional faces, and these patterns differ depending on whether they have a family history of depression.

Researchers at Binghamton University's Mood Disorders Institute are studying how depression develops during childhood and adolescence. They hope that identifying early warning signs could help doctors and families detect and address mental health problems before they become more serious.

"Many of the risk factors we study are still dev...