Objective: To assess the usefulness of the forced swim test (FST) in juvenile rats and to determinethe efficacy of two antidepressants on the behavioral changes of adult and juvenile rats. Design: Animal interventional study. Setting: Department of Pharmacology, Creighton University, Omaha, USA. Method: Adult and 28 days old rats received saline, Imipramine or Fluoxetine three times duringthe 24 hours between 15 minutes pre-swim and the 5 minutes swim test. Immobility, swimmingand climbing behaviors were measured. Locomotor activity was assessed for 28 days old rats inan open field test. Result: Imipramine-treated juvenile rats had a decrease of immobility and increase climbingbehavior, whereas Fluoxetine-treated juveniles had a decrease in immobility and increase inswimming behavior, both in a dose dependent manner. Conclusion: The present study clearly showed that the antidepressant effects of Imipramine andFluoxetine can be applied to juvenile rats in the forced swim test; it could be validated as practicalmodel for screening of the antidepressant effects.