Persistent depressive disorder, also known as dysthymia or chronic major depression, is a poorly understood condition for which the diagnostic criteria are constantly evolving. In the past, this condition was considered a personality disorder, which connotes a permanent, pervasive nature.
Dysthymia is a milder, but long-lasting form of depression. It's also called persistent depressive disorder. People with this condition may also have bouts of major depression at times.
This is called high-functioning depression, although it is also known by two other names: persistent depressive disorder (PDD) and dysthymic disorder. High-functioning depression produces low-grade depressive symptoms that can last for years, unlike episodes of major depression which tend to recede in 6-12 months.
According to the American Psychiatric Association, between 80% and 90% of people with depression will eventually respond well to treatment. In some rare cases, though, depression doesn't improve with traditional treatment options like psychotherapy and medications.
Each person's recovery is different. Some recover in a few weeks or months. But for others, depression is a long-term illness. In about 20% to 30% of people who have an episode of depression, the symptoms don't entirely go away.
Basically, 30% of people with depression are diagnosed with treatment-resistant depression.
Some studies have also suggested that you're more likely to get depression as you get older, and that it's more common in people who live in difficult social and economic circumstances. It's thought that your chance of getting severe depression may be partly affected by the genes you inherit from your parents.
Although depression has no cure, many effective treatments are available to manage the condition. Every person is different, and individually tailored treatment is important.
The average age of onset for major depressive disorder is between 35 and 40 years of age. Onset in early adulthood may be linked with more depressive episodes, a longer duration of illness, and therefore a more difficult clinical course.
Feeling hopeless is a symptom of depression, but people suffering can feel hopeful that they can be successfully treated. A holistic treatment that combines medication, psychotherapy, and mind-body practices can be life-saving and life-enhancing.
It's one of the most common and most treatable mental health disorders. With early, continuous treatment, people can gain control of their symptoms, feel better, and get back to enjoying their lives. There are effective treatments for depression, including medications (such as antidepressants), along with talk therapy.
Clinical depression is a chronic condition, but it usually occurs in episodes, which can last several weeks or months. You'll likely have more than one episode in your lifetime. This is different from persistent depressive disorder, which is mild or moderate depression that lasts for at least two years.
As if depression wasn't insidious enough, allow us to introduce you to its fickle, evil twin: treatment-resistant depression (TRD). A major depressive disorder, TRD describes depression that has failed to respond to at least two different antidepressant treatments.
Answer From Daniel K. Hall-Flavin, M.D. Depression ranges in seriousness from mild, temporary episodes of sadness to severe, persistent depression. Clinical depression is the more-severe form of depression, also known as major depression or major depressive disorder.
Some have suffered bouts of depression, others have not. Some have had more than their share of adverse life events, while others have had an easier time of it.
That is the case for major depression. Heritability is probably 40-50%, and might be higher for severe depression. This could mean that in most cases of depression, around 50% of the cause is genetic, and around 50% is unrelated to genes (psychological or physical factors).
Major depressive disorder is a highly prevalent psychiatric disorder. It has a lifetime prevalence of about 5 to 17 percent, with the average being 12 percent.
Depression: 3 in 100 people. Phobias: 2 in 100 people. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): 1 in 100 people. Panic disorder: fewer than 1 in 100 people.
A brief look into mental health statistics will suggest that anxiety is more prevalent now than it has ever been. You can find studies all over the internet that report an increase in anxiety and depression-related disorders over the last century.
Persistent depressive disorder (PDD) is mild or moderate depression that doesn't go away. A person with PDD has a sad, dark, or low mood and two or more other symptoms of depression. The symptoms last most of the day, on most days, over a long period of time.
Clinical depression, or major depressive disorder, is often just called “depression.” It's the most severe type of depression. Without treatment, depression can get worse and last longer. In severe cases, it can lead to self-harm or death by suicide.
Ongoing depression likely causes long-term changes to the brain, especially in the hippocampus. That might be why depression is so hard to treat in some people. But researchers also found less gray matter volume in people who were diagnosed with lifelong major depressive disorder but hadn't had depression in years.