Depression is related to the normal emotions of sadness and
bereavement, but it does not remit when the external cause of these emo-
tions dissipates, and it is disproportionate to their cause. Classic severe states
of depression often have no external precipitating cause. It is difficult, however, to
draw clear distinctions between depressions with and those without psychosocial
precipitating events.
1 The diagnosis of major depressive disorder requires a distinct
change of mood, characterized by sadness or irritability and accompanied by at least
several psychophysiological changes, such as disturbances in sleep, appetite, or sex-
ual desire; constipation; loss of the ability to experience pleasure in work or with
friends; crying; suicidal thoughts; and slowing of speech and action. These chang-
es must last a minimum of 2 weeks and interfere considerably with work and fam-
ily relations. On the basis of this broad definition, the lifetime incidence of depres-
sion in the United States is more than 12% in men and 20% in women.
2 Some have
advocated a much narrower definition of severe depression, which they call melan-
cholia or vital depression.
3
Depression is related to the normal emotions of sadness andbereavement, but it does not remit when the external cause of these emo-tions dissipates, and it is disproportionate to their cause. Classic severe statesof depression often have no external precipitating cause. It is difficult, however, todraw clear distinctions between depressions with and those without psychosocialprecipitating events.1 The diagnosis of major depressive disorder requires a distinctchange of mood, characterized by sadness or irritability and accompanied by at leastseveral psychophysiological changes, such as disturbances in sleep, appetite, or sex-ual desire; constipation; loss of the ability to experience pleasure in work or withfriends; crying; suicidal thoughts; and slowing of speech and action. These chang-es must last a minimum of 2 weeks and interfere considerably with work and fam-ily relations. On the basis of this broad definition, the lifetime incidence of depres-sion in the United States is more than 12% in men and 20% in women.2 Some haveadvocated a much narrower definition of severe depression, which they call melan-cholia or vital depression.3
การแปล กรุณารอสักครู่..
