There is no laboratory test for the disorder, but testing may be done to rule out physical conditions that can cause similar symptoms. The diagnosis of major depressive disorder is based on the person's reported experiences, behavior reported by relatives or friends, and a mental status examination. Introduced by a group of US clinicians in the mid-1970s, the term was adopted by the American Psychiatric Association for this symptom cluster under mood disorders in the 1980 version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III), and has become widely used since. Major depressive disorder ( MDD), also known as clinical depression, is a mental disorder characterized by at least two weeks of pervasive low mood, low self-esteem, and loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities.
Psychotherapy, antidepressant medication, electroconvulsive therapy, exercise Low mood, low self-esteem, loss of interest in normally enjoyable activities, low energy, pain without a clear cause Įnvironmental ( adverse life experiences, stressful life events), genetic and psychological factors įamily history, major life changes, certain medications, chronic health problems, substance use disorder Medical condition Major depressive disorderĬlinical depression, major depression, unipolar depression, unipolar disorder, recurrent depression
