The Office of the Surgeon General (2000) reports that many children currently in need of mental health services are not receiving them. Given the impact of depressive disorders on functioning, identification of these in children is particularly important (Cicchetti & Toth, 1998; Herman, Reinke, Parkin, Traylor, & Agarwal, 2009). Such identification would help to improve mental health outcomes for children. However, Major Depressive Disorder in particular may be difficult to identify in children (Calear, 2012; Poznanski, 1982a). Current research suggests that teachers' knowledge of the symptoms of Major Depressive Disorder is limited (Burns et al., 1995; Kirchner, Yoder, Kramer, Lindsey, & Thrush, 2000; Puura et al., 1998). This dissertation provides a review of literature regarding Major Depressive Disorder in elementary school aged children, defined in this dissertation as children between the ages of 3 and 12, and describes a training program that was created to increase teachers' awareness of the symptoms of Major Depressive Disorder; procedures for referring such students to the appropriate sources for assessment, evaluation, and treatment; completing assessment measures for depressive symptoms; classroom strategies for providing behavioral support to students with Major Depressive Disorder; and available resources for gaining additional information regarding Major Depressive Disorder in students. Through the creation of this training program, the aim of this dissertation is to aid in early identification of Major Depressive Disorder in children, thereby helping to alleviate the burden of unmet mental health needs in children and improve outcomes for children with Major Depressive Disorder. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]