Emotions such as sadness or feeling down are experienced and may cause discomfort. Depressive disorders are characterized by “the presence of sad, empty, or irritable mood, accompanied by somatic and cognitive changes that significantly affect the individual’s capacity to function” (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2013; p. 155). They are among the most widely experienced mental health issues.
Major Depressive Disorder – characterized by discrete episodes of feeling sad, empty or irritability that are often recurrent and impact somatic and cognitive functioning.
Persistent Depressive Disorder – characterized by dysthymia or more chronic major depression.
Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder – characterized by a specific course of depression that impacts functioning beginning with ovulation and remitting within a few days of menstruating.
Substance/Medication-Induced Depressive Disorder – characterized by depression-like states experienced with substance of abuse and prescribed medications.
Depressive Disorder due to Another Medical Condition - characterized by depression-like states experienced due to other medical condition(s).
Diagnostic Considerations:
Clinicians treat people who describe their experiences with depressive disorders. They appear in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). When last revised they were moved from the chapter with Bipolar and Related Disorders (APA, 2013).
Depressive disorders are included in the international Classification of Diseases, 11th Revision (ICD-11; World Health Organization, 2018).
Treatment:
Treatment for depressive disorders vary dependent on factors including co-occurring disorders. Common psychotherapeutic approaches support conscious awareness of feelings, emotion regulation enhancement, coping and calming strategies, communication and other skills that increase social support and relationships, appropriate responses to physical and psychological cues such as triggers of depressive symptoms, and collaboration with medical prescribers.
References:
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Author.
World Health Organization. (2019). International statistical classification of diseases and related health problems (11th ed.). https://icd.who.int/