Content area
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is characterized by persistent depressed mood, loss of interest or pleasure in previously enjoyable activities, recurrent thoughts of death, and physical and cognitive symptoms. People with MDD can have reduced quality of life owing to the disorder itself as well as related medical comorbidities, social factors, and impaired functional outcomes. MDD is a complex disorder that cannot be fully explained by any one single established biological or environmental pathway. Instead, MDD seems to be caused by a combination of genetic, environmental, psychological and biological factors. Treatment for MDD commonly involves pharmacological therapy with antidepressant medications, psychotherapy or a combination of both. In people with severe and/or treatment-resistant MDD, other biological therapies, such as electroconvulsive therapy, may also be offered.
This Primer summarizes the epidemiology, mechanisms, diagnosis and treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD). This Primer also reviews how this disorder affects patient quality of life, and provides an overview of future research.
Details
; Penninx, Brenda W. J. H. 2 ; Solmi, Marco 3
; Furukawa, Toshi A. 4 ; Firth, Joseph 5 ; Carvalho, Andre F. 1 ; Berk, Michael 1 1 Deakin University, IMPACT – the Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, School of Medicine, Barwon Health, Geelong, Australia (GRID:grid.1021.2) (ISNI:0000 0001 0526 7079)
2 Vrije Universiteit, Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam Public Health and Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, the Netherlands (GRID:grid.12380.38) (ISNI:0000 0004 1754 9227)
3 University of Ottawa, Department of Psychiatry, Ottawa, Canada (GRID:grid.28046.38) (ISNI:0000 0001 2182 2255); The Ottawa Hospital, On Track: The Champlain First Episode Psychosis Program, Department of Mental Health, Ottawa, Canada (GRID:grid.412687.e) (ISNI:0000 0000 9606 5108); Charité Universitätsmedizin, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Berlin, Germany (GRID:grid.6363.0) (ISNI:0000 0001 2218 4662)
4 Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine/School of Public Health, Department of Health Promotion and Human Behavior, Kyoto, Japan (GRID:grid.258799.8) (ISNI:0000 0004 0372 2033)
5 University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Division of Psychology and Mental Health, Manchester, UK (GRID:grid.5379.8) (ISNI:0000000121662407); Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK (GRID:grid.462482.e) (ISNI:0000 0004 0417 0074)