Major Depressive Disorder

A mental health disorder characterized by persistently depressed mood or loss of interest in activities, causing significant impairment in daily life.

Possible causes include a combination of biological, psychological, and social sources of distress. Increasingly, research suggests these factors may cause changes in brain function, including altered activity of certain neural circuits in the brain.

The persistent feeling of sadness or loss of interest that characterizes major depression can lead to a range of behavioral and physical symptoms. These may include changes in sleep, appetite, energy level, concentration, daily behavior, or self-esteem. Depression can also be associated with thoughts of suicide.

The mainstay of treatment is usually medication, talk therapy, or a combination of the two. Increasingly, research suggests these treatments may normalize brain changes associated with depression.

Cluster Number:
Wiki Number: PW115
Diagnosis: Major Depressive Disorder
US Patients:
World Patients: 163 Mil; 2% of world population
Sex Ratio: M;W2
Age Onset: 20s-30s; The average duration is 23 weeks, with three more during lifetime. ½ of patients will not have another episode.
Brain Area: 102 variations in the genome linked to depression; There is an extensive description of possible brain affects on depression.
Symptoms: Has at least two weeks of depressive mood; inability to enjoy pleasure; rumination; reduced sex drive, insomnia and hypersomnia
Progression: weight and appetite may be low; fatigue, social withdrawal, suicidal thoughts; delusions or sometimes hallucinations
Causes: 40%-hereditary; response to stressors, childhood abuse. The article claims general physicians miss 2/3 of depression diagnoses.
Medications: Antidepressants-for the deeply depressed; electroconvulsive therapy
Therapies: Counseling; transcranial magnetic stimulation, light therapy, exercise, light therapy,

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Section 12.04.

4 CURRENT ARTICLES
FROM PUBMED

The world-wide medical research
reports chosen for each diagnosis

Clicking each title opens the
PubMed article’s summary-abstract.

Symptom scale for anxiety and depression disorders (ESTAD): psychometric properties and sociodemographic profile in Peruvian university students
by Nicolás Valle-Palomino on December 21, 2024
CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the scale evidence an adequate psychometric consistency, presenting itself as a valid and reliable instrument. Of the university students evaluated, it was generally identified that 24% reach a high level and 50% reach a moderate level of anxiety and depression symptoms. Additionally, being a woman and an adolescent increases the likelihood of presenting elevated levels of the symptoms evaluated by the scale.
Sexual Feelings in the Psychotherapy Room: Comparing Their Occurrence in Patients With Unipolar Depression, Bipolar Disorder, and Neither of These
by Alberto Stefana on December 21, 2024
No abstract
Antioxidants in neuropsychiatric disorder prevention: neuroprotection, synaptic regulation, microglia modulation, and neurotrophic effects
by Fangfei Liu on December 20, 2024
Oxidative stress, caused by an imbalance between the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the body's intrinsic antioxidant defenses, plays a critical role in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's. Beyond these conditions, recent evidence indicates that dysregulated redox balance is implicated in neuropsychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia, major depressive disorder, and anxiety disorders. Preclinical and clinical studies have...
A comparative study of depressive and anxiety symptoms, insomnia, and sleepiness in patients with obstructive sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, or both (CO-ROSA): preliminary findings from a retrospective study
by Lourdes M DelRosso on December 20, 2024
Patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), restless legs syndrome (RLS), or both may exhibit varied manifestations of depressive and anxiety symptomatology, reflecting the complex interplay between sleep disturbances, neurotransmitter imbalances, and psychosocial stressors in these often overlapping conditions. The aim of this study was to compare depressive and anxiety symptomatology, insomnia severity, and sleepiness in these conditions. Patients were enrolled and subdivided into those with...