Major Depressive Disorder Research Paper

Unfortunately the exact causes for major depressive disorder is not known yet, but a variety of

Biological Theories. The monoamine neurotransmitters—norepinephrine, dopamine, serotonin, histamine—are the main focus of theories regarding the cause of depression. However, the focus is not on a single neurotransmitter but on the “studying neurobehavioral systems, neural circuits, more intricate neuroregulatory mechanisms” (Kaplan Sadock 531).

Major Depressive Disorder or MDD is a very common clinical condition that affects millions of people every year. According to the Agency for Health Care Policy & Research, “ depression is under diagnosed & untreated by most medical doctors, despite the fact that it can almost always be treated successfully.

Major depression is categorized as a mood disorder. There are consistent feelings of sadness and loss of interest. Emotional and physical problems are normally associated with major depression disorder or MDD. Feelings and behavior are changed due to this mood disorder. Activities of daily living and even carrying on with life period may be a struggle for those who suffer from MDD.

What is major depressive disorder? Major depressive disorder is a psychiatric disorder documented in the DSM. Major depressive disorder interferes with an individual's normal functioning in everyday life and causes pain to the person with this disorder and to those close to the person. Individuals with major depressive disorder cannot just "pull themselves out" of this depression on their own and the symptoms accompanied with this disorder can last for weeks, months, and even years (Butcher, Mineka, and Hooley, 2013, p. 221-22). Recognizing the symptoms is critical because most people need treatment to get better.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) affects approximately 18 million people in the United States alone, and 340 million people worldwide. MDD, as defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, 5th ed. (DSM-V), is characterized by “one or more major depressive episodes that are persistent and abnormally depressed mood states that last at least 2 weeks and include cognitive symptoms and disturbed physical functions”. The DSM-V includes a clinical significance criterion where “symptoms cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social,

Depressive disorders is a mood disorder that is widespread among all ages, genders, and ethnicities. Depressive disorders is a worldwide and serious disabling health disorder. The age of onset occurs throughout the life span and is its effect is a disabling as other chronic illnesses. Depressive disorders are twice as likely in females between the ages of 15 and 40 as in males. Depression is also very common over the age of 65 but is more difficult to diagnose and can go untreated due to the presentation of sign and symptoms. Comorbidity with other chronic illnesses makes the prognosis poorer and health care providers should not overlook a diagnosis of depression when treating

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a very common diagnosis in the mental health field. It is important that clinicians understand MDD thoroughly as it is such a common diagnosis. Many clinicians will be faced with working with clients with a diagnosis of MDD at some point in their careers so it is important to review the criterion and study the diagnosis. Major Depression Disorder requires a distinct change in mood usually a transition into feelings of sadness and hopelessness. This is usually accompanied by several symptoms such as sleep disturbances, irritability, suicidal thoughts, physiological changes amongst other symptoms that will be later discussed in this paper. The presenting symptoms must last at least 2 weeks

Believing it is only chemical could automatically create an over-reliance on drugs, and considering not all antidepressants work on every kind of depression, this belief can inhibit healing progress. Finally, the thought that it is only chemical overlooks possible trauma that may have led to the depression. Psychotherapy provides great help with working through emotional triggers of depression, and if someone is inclined to believe it is only chemical, they may not see a need for therapy and therefore never truly work through the root causes of the depression without drugs. Antidepressants are most helpful when combined with therapy because “...depression is not the consequence of a reduced level of anything we can now measure. Raising levels of serotonin in the brain triggers a process that eventually helps many depressed people to feel better, but that is not because they have abnormally low levels of serotonin. ...‘I’m depressed but it’s just chemical’ is a sentence equivalent to ‘I’m murderous but it’s just chemical’ or ‘I’m intelligent but it’s just chemical.’ Everything about a person is just chemical if one wants to think in those terms.” (Solomon, pages 20, 21, and

The focus of this investigation is to determine if there is a correlation between emotional well-being and the rising cases of adolescent depressive disorders. This investigation will be limited to adolescents, as defined as the period of transition to adulthood, (reference) according to the World Health Organisation. The conversion from childhood to adulthood is known as the ‘tough years’ and appears to have become increasingly complex due to the social, economic, environmental and technological changes faced by today’s generation of young people.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) (also known as clinical depression) is mental disorder characterized by a pervasive and persistent low mood that is accompanied by low self-esteem and by a loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities(Paris, 2013).

Major depression is a disorder in which a person experiences persistent and intense feelings of sadness for extended periods of time.

Medication is prescribed to depressed patients because it helps to correct imbalances of the neurotransmitters in the brain. Specifically, serotonin and norepinephrine are the neurotransmitters affected by depression. The most popular class of antidepressants is called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). SSRIs work by changing the balance of serotonin in the brain, which allows the chemical messages to be sent that impact happiness. Norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) work in a similar manor, expect they target a different neurotransmitter in the brain. The reason these two classes of antidepressants are prescribed frequently is because they have fewer side effects compared to other antidepressants. Although, there are still significant side effects when the person first begins taking the medication, which can include: headaches, jitters or insomnia (Depression, n.d.). Antidepressant’s take about four to six weeks before they have their full effect, and they need to be taken after the person feels better, in order to prevent depression from

Everyone throughout some point in his or her life as felt sad or upset. This feeling usually passes within a few days, hours or even minutes. Unfortunately, there are some people who cannot seem to shake this gloomy feeling and it continues to haunt them for an extended amount of time. The feeling of being incapable to shake this unwanted sadness in ones life could be categorized under the mental illness known as depression. This mental illness can be brought on by divorce, financial struggles, arguments or can simply just come out of the blue. It is an illness known to affect people of all different races, genders and ages. Depression can begin to disassemble a normal life, it can affect anyone but there is prevention and treatment for this

Major Depression Disorder (MDD) is generally the most common known. It is defined as a mood disorder characterized by a depressed mood, a lack of interest in activities normally enjoyed, changes in weight and sleep, fatigue, feelings of worthlessness