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Clinical Features and Functioning of Patients with Minor Depression

På svenska

Author

  • Robert H. Howland
  • Pamela J. Schettler
  • Mark H. Rapaport
  • David Mischoulon
  • Trisha Schneider
  • Amy Fasiczka
  • Katia Delrahim
  • Rachel Maddux
  • Michael Lightfoot
  • Andrew A. Nierenberg

Summary, in English

Background: The two essential features of minor depression are that it has fewer symptoms than major depression and that it is less chronic than dysthymia. This study describes the clinical features and functioning of outpatients with minor depression. Methods: Subjects with minor depression (with and without a prior history of major depression) were recruited through clinical referrals and community advertising. Assessments included the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID), the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D), the Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology-Self Report (IDS-SR) and Clinician Rated (IDS-C) scales, the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scale, the Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short-Form scale (MOS), and the Clinical Global Impressions Severity Scale (CGI). Data from previously published studies of major depression, minor depression, and normal controls were compared to our data set. Results: Minor depression is characterized primarily by mood and cognitive symptoms rather than vegetative symptoms; the functional impairment associated with minor depression is as severe as for major depression in several areas; minor depression occurs either independently of major depression or as a stage of illness during the long-term course of major depression, and minor depression patients with and without a history of major depression have similar levels of depressive severity and functional impairment. Conclusions: These findings support the notion that minor depression is an important clinical entity that fits within the larger spectrum of depressive disorders.

Publishing year

2008

Language

English

Pages

384-389

Publication/Series

Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics

Volume

77

Issue

6

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

Karger

Topic

  • Psychology

Keywords

  • Depressive disorders
  • Minor depression
  • Psychosocial function
  • Depressive symptoms

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 0033-3190