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Chapter 3.1 - Clinical Features of Depressive Disorders

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 April 2024

By
Ian M. Anderson  and
Kate Williams-Markey
Edited by
David Kingdon ,
Paul Rowlands  and
George Stein
David Kingdon
Affiliation:
University of Southampton
Paul Rowlands
Affiliation:
Derbyshire Healthcare NHS foundation Trust
George Stein
Affiliation:
Emeritus of the Princess Royal University Hospital
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Summary

Depressive disorders have been recognised since antiquity, although how they have been described and understood has changed considerably over time. In this chapter, we outline key aspects of the history of depression as well as some of the limitations in its current classification in ICD-11 and DSM-5. We describe the range of symptoms experienced in depressive disorders, together with the recognised variations in clinical presentation and how these are conceptualised and classified. The relationship between depression and related disorders including anxiety disorders, premenstrual dysphoric disorder and grief is discussed, as well as boundary issues with bipolar disorder and primary psychotic disorders. We review current knowledge about depression’s considerable psychiatric and medical comorbidity, along with its epidemiology, natural history and health burden. A brief practical guide to assessing depressive disorders is given, together with rating scales that are useful for clinical assessment and monitoring.

Keywords

depressive disordershistory of depressiondepressive symptomsclassificationdiagnosisICD-11DSM-5epidemiology of depressionnatural history of depressionassessment

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Seminars in General Adult Psychiatry , pp. 64 - 88
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

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