According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), major depressive disorders are reported for 14.8 million American adults in a given year. The American Psychiatric Association (APA) defines major depressive disorders using severity, symptom descriptions, episode duration and frequency of occurrence. Mild depression is a form of this mood disorder where only a few symptoms are present and the person experiences only minor disruption and impairment to daily functioning and responsibilities.
Basic Symptoms
If you are suffering from mild depression you will experience mild forms of the following symptoms and to a degree that has little if any impact on day-to-day activities. These symptoms are irritability, sadness or depressed mood and/or a loss of interest in activities that used to be fun or engaging. There may be slight changes to appetite and weight gain/loss, disruption to sleep patterns like insomnia or hypersomnia (sleeping too much), mild energy loss, questioning self-worth, feelings of guilt and some difficulty concentrating that may only mildly disrupt your ability to work or perform in school.
Episode Characteristics
If the episode is the first in your lifetime, it is referred to as a "single" episode. If one or more episodes have occurred in the past, the current episode is termed "recurrent." These descriptions are used regardless of whether the severity is mild. The episode must be at least 2 weeks long to meet diagnostic criteria for a diagnosis of mild depression or mild major depressive episode. The symptoms cannot be due to a medical condition.
Mild Clinical Features
The APA classifies mild depression by other factors such as "melancholic" when depressed mood is the most prevalent symptom or "chronic" if the current episode has lasted longer than 2 years. "Catatonic" features are generally not part of mild depression. If the mild depressive episode begins approximately 4 weeks after giving birth, a woman's depression is characterized as "postpartum onset."
Dysthymic Disorder vs. Mild Depression
Dysthymic disorder is one more type of depression that is less severe than mild major depressive disorder. Dysthymic disorder is different from mild depression in its clinical symptoms and episode duration. Dysthymic symptoms include depressed mood for at least 2 years, low self-esteem, appetite and sleep pattern disturbances, low energy, hopelessness and poor concentration.
References
- U.S. National Institure of Mental Health: Depressive Disorders Information
- American Psychiatric Association (2000). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th Ed.). American Psychiatric Association: Washington D. C.
