Major depression can be a devastating mental illness that can affect every aspect of a person's life. The extent of that impact can depend upon the severity and type of depression. According to the "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders," there are several levels of severity and forms of major depression.
Major Depressive Disorder
Major depressive disorder is characterized by one or more major depressive episodes, not accounted for by a substance or a medical condition. A major depressive episode is characterized by experiencing for at least two weeks the following symptoms: depressed mood; loss of interest or pleasure; change in weight or appetite; change in sleep pattern; increased restless or decreased physical activity; fatigue; feelings of worthlessness; difficulty concentrating or making decisions; and/or thoughts of death or suicide.
Aside from these symptoms, major depressive disorder can have different levels of severity and sometimes different forms, or features.
Severity
Major depression can be further diagnosed by a mental health provider based on severity of depressive symptoms: mild, moderate, severe with psychotic features, severe without psychotic features, in partial remission or in full remission.
Specific Features or Forms
According to the "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders," a person can be diagnosed with major depressive disorder with or without some specific features. These features, or forms, fall into four different categories: chronic, catatonic, melancholic and atypical.
Chronic depression is when a person's depressive symptoms last for at least two years. Catatonic depression is when a person's symptoms include immobility, excessive activity, resistance to being moved, not speaking, peculiar body movements or postures, repeating sounds or repeating other people's movements. Melancholic depression is when a person's symptoms include a loss of interest or pleasure in almost all activities, early morning awakening and depression that usually is worse in the morning. Atypical depression's symptoms include mood reactivity (i.e., cheering up in response to something positive), weight gain or increase in appetite, extreme sleepiness, a heavy feeling in the limbs and sensitivity to social rejection.
Get Help
Major depressive disorder can manifest in a variety of symptoms, levels of severity and forms. If you are concerned that you or someone you know may be depressed, please seek assistance from a qualified mental health professional in order to be assessed and diagnosed. An assessment likely will include a clinical interview, observation and assessment tools such as a self-report instrument. The first step to receiving appropriate and effective treatment for depression is to have an accurate diagnosis.
References
- "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders -- Fourth Edition -- Text Revision"; American Psychiatric Association; 2000
- "Handbook of Psychological Assessment"; Gary Groth-Marnat; 1997
