What are the parameters for clinical depression?

Depression DSM-5 Diagnostic Criteria Depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day. Markedly diminished interest or pleasure in all, or almost all, activities most of the day, nearly every day. Significant weight loss when not dieting or weight gain, or decrease or increase in appetite nearly every day.

What is the most commonly used treatment for clinical depression?

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are the most-prescribed medications for depression today. Prozac (fluoxetine), Paxil (paroxetine), Zoloft (sertraline), Celexa (citalopram), and Luvox (fluvoxamine) are commonly prescribed brand names.

What is the gold standard treatment for depression?

Use of antidepressants is the gold standard therapy for major depression. However, despite the large number of commercially available antidepressant drugs there are several differences among them in efficacy, tolerability, and cost-effectiveness.

What is the acute phase of depression?

Treatment consists of three phases: Acute Phase – Remission is induced (minimum 6 – 8 weeks in duration). Continuation Phase – Remission is preserved and relapse prevented (usually 16 – 20 weeks in duration).

What is the difference between normal depression and clinical depression?

Clinical depression is more severe than situational depression. It is also known as major depression or major depressive disorder. It is severe enough to interfere with daily function. The Diagnostic and Statistic Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-V) classifies clinical depression as a mood disorder.

How effective is CBT in treating depression?

These benefits were found, on average, 40 months after the end of therapy. Over the course of 46 months, 43 per cent of those who had received CBT had improved, reporting at least a 50 per cent reduction in symptoms of depression, compared with 27 per cent who continued with their usual care alone.

Which individual has the highest risk for major depression?

Age. Major depression is most likely to affect people between the ages of 45 and 65. “People in middle age are at the top of the bell curve for depression, but the people at each end of the curve, the very young and very old, may be at higher risk for severe depression,” says Walch.