This paper summarizes results of a study which determined usage of mental health services by children with depressive disorders and whether patterns of service use and parents' perceptions of service use barriers are the same for children with depressive disorders as for those with disruptive disorders. The study used data from the Methods for Epidemiology of Child and Adolescent Mental Disorders (MECA) Study. In the MECA sample, 176 children met diagnostic criteria for either depressive (N=44) or disruptive (N=96) disorders or both (N=36). In the MECA study, measures of depressive and disruptive disorder were administered and an interview protocol determined service utilization and barriers to services. The study found that children with depressive disorder were less likely to use services than children with disruptive disorder. Also, parents of children with depressive disorders report more barriers to service than parents of children with disruptive disorders. Findings suggest that children with depressive disorders are less likely to be identified or referred to mental health services and that they have more difficulties in accessing services. (DB)