Major

Depressive
Disorder
By Denirae Davis
What is Major
Depressive Disorder?
Major depressive
disorder is a common
mood disorder that
negatively affects how
you feel and act.
 According to the American Psychiatric
Association symptoms of depression include:
•Feeling sad or depressed
•Loss of interest or pleasure in activities you once enjoyed
•Changes in appetite- either weight loss or gain unrelated to diet
•Trouble sleeping or sleeping to much
•Loss of energy or increased fatigue
•Increased restlessness 
•Feeling worthless or guilty
•Difficulty thinking, concentrating or making decisions
•Thoughts of death or suicide
(1)
 Diagnosing Major Depressive Disorder
according to the DSM 5:
 You need to have at least 5 of the symptoms listed on the previous slide longer than two weeks.
 And all four of the following criteria:
 Symptoms cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or
other important areas of functioning.
 Episode not attributable to physiological effects of a substance or another medical
condition.
 Episode not better explained by schizoaffective disorder, schizophrenia, schizophreniform
disorder, delusional disorder, or other specified and unspecified schizophrenia spectrum
and other psychotic disorders.
 No history of manic or hypomanic episode (Exclusion does not apply if all manic-like or
hypomanic-like episodes are substance-induced or are attributable to physiological effects
of another medical condition). (4)
 According to the American Psychiatric
Association:
“Depression affects an estimated one in 15 adults (6.7%) in any given
year. And one in six people (16.6%) will experience depression at
some time in their life. Depression can occur at any time, but on
average, first appears during the late teens to mid-20s. Women are
more likely than men to experience depression. Some studies show
that one-third of women will experience a major depressive episode in
their lifetime. There is a high degree of heritability (approximately
40%) when first-degree relatives (parents/children/siblings) have
depression.” (1)
Treatment options:
•Medication (2)
• Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRIs)
• Prozac, Celexa, Zoloft
• Serotonin and Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs)
• Effexor, Cymbalta
• Tricyclic and Tetracyclic Antidepressants
• Amitriptyline, Nortriptyline

•Psychotherapy (5)
• Talk therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), interpersonal
therapy (IPT), and problem-solving therapy.

•Brain Stimulation Therapies (5)

• Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT), Transcranial Magnetic
Stimulation (TMS), Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS)
 Helpful Tips: (1)(5)

 Try to exercise and stay active

 Get good quality sleep
 Eat healthy
 Avoid alcohol
 Find people to confide in
 Related Disorders: (1)
 Peripartum depression (AKA postpartum depression)
 Seasonal depression
 Bipolar disorders
 Persistent depressive disorder (previously dysthymia)
 Severe depression lasting longer than two years.

 Premenstrual dysphoric disorder 

 Depressed mood, anger, and anxiety 7-10 days prior to the start of
menstruation.
 Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder
 Disruptive mood disorder affecting ages 6-18 causing severe
irritability and outbursts.
 Comorbidities (3)

According to the National Alliance on

Mental Illness (NAMI) Anxiety is the
leading comorbidity to depression with up
to 60% of people experiencing both
disorders.
 Works Cited
1. What Is Depression?, www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/depression/what-is-depression.

2. Commissioner, Office of the. “Depression Medicines.” U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA,
www.fda.gov/consumers/free-publications-women/depression-medicines.

3. “The Comorbidity of Anxiety and Depression.” NAMI, www.nami.org/Blogs/NAMI-

Blog/January-2018/The-Comorbidity-of-Anxiety-and-Depression.

4. “DSM-5 Criteria for Major Depressive Disorder.” MDCalc, www.mdcalc.com/dsm-5-criteria-

major-depressive-disorder.

5. “Depression.” National Institute of Mental Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services, www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/depression/index.shtml.