What is the general definition of depression?

What is the general definition of depression?

Overview. Depression is a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest. Also called major depressive disorder or clinical depression, it affects how you feel, think and behave and can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems.

What technically is depression?

A serious condition that can lead to an inability to function or suicide. Sufferers experience not only a depressed mood, but also have difficulty performing simple daily tasks, lose interest in their usual activities, extreme fatigue, sleep problems, or feelings of guilt and helplessness.

What is the definition of a depressive episode?

A depressive episode in the context of a major depressive disorder is a period characterized by low mood and other depression symptoms that lasts for 2 weeks or more. When experiencing a depressive episode, a person can try to make changes to their thoughts and behaviors to help improve their mood.

What can trigger depressive episodes?

The structural, physiological and biochemical changes that occur in the brain that cause depression can have one or more causes including:

• Dysfunction in the brain’s mood regulation mechanism.
• Genetic vulnerability.
• Physical health problems.
• Stress or negative life events.
• Medication side effects.
• Various triggers.

How do you stop a depressive episode?

15 Ways to Avoid Depression

1. Exercise regularly. Exercising regularly is one of the best things you can do for your mental health.
2. Cut back on social media time.
3. Build strong relationships.
4. Minimize your daily choices.
5. Reduce stress.
6. Maintain your treatment plan.
7. Get plenty of sleep.
8. Stay away from toxic people.

What is a clinical diagnosis of depression based on?

Significant weight change or appetite disturbance: For children, this can be failure to achieve expected weight gain. Sleep disturbance (insomnia or hypersomnia) Psychomotor agitation or retardation. Fatigue or loss of energy.

What is depressive disorder NEC?

The Depressive Disorder Not Otherwise Specified category includes disorders with depressive features that do not meet the criteria for Major Depressive Disorder, Dysthymic Disorder, Adjustment Disorder With Depressed Mood, or Adjustment Disorder with Mixed Anxiety and Depressed Mood.

Who are the authors of the nature of depression?

PMID: 22478499 The Nature of Clinical Depression: Symptoms, Syndromes, and Behavior Analysis Jonathan W Kanter,Andrew M Busch, Cristal E Weeks, and Sara J Landes Author informationCopyright and License informationDisclaimer University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee

How is depression described in the general public?

Depression is largely seen by the general public and mainstream media as a neuropsychiatric illness (e.g., Wingert & Kantrowitz, 2002) with a fluctuating course that is best described in disease-state terms such as disorder, episodes, remission, recovery, relapse, and recurrence (Frank et al., 1991).

How did Lewinsohn describe the nature of depression?

This notion became the foundation of Lewinsohn’s (1974) theory and dominated the behavioral literature for several decades. Lewinsohn described depression as characterized primarily by a low rate of response-contingent positive reinforcement (RCPR).

Is there a technical basis for the term depression?

The case for depression is quite similar. First, the term depressionwas never meant as a technical term and actually has a metaphorical, idiomatic basis. Second, our psychiatric nomenclature and mainstream usage of the term suggest that depression is an empirical phenomenon with an essential composition.