Major depression disorder can be said to be a complex psychiatric condition that occurs frequently and can cause challenges that are significant both to the patient and the physician ( Kaiser, 2015 ). Major depression disorder is characterized by more than two weeks of low mood that will be present across all situations and circumstances in the life of the patient. Other major and more visible signs of major depressive disorders will include low self-esteem, lack of interest in activities and things that used to excite the patient in the past and pain without a clear cause ( Kaiser, 2015 ). Additionally, the major depressive disorder may include false belief and hallucinations in extreme cases ( Kaiser, 2015 ).
Major depression disorder diagnostic criteria and symptoms
Major depression disorder will be diagnosed with visible symptoms and sign that should be present for more than two weeks. The two main symptoms will include depressed mood and loss of interest in the activities and things that used to be pleasurable in the past ( Kaiser, 2015 ). The patient will have depressed mood every day which will include feeling sad, empty and hopeless. On the other hand, the patient will exhibit a diminished interest in the activities that were pleasurable to them in the past ( Kaiser, 2015 ). Additionally, the patient will have unexplained loss of weight of more than 5% of their weight in a period of 4 weeks. Furthermore, the patient will show a drop in the appetite. Other common symptoms will include lack of sleep, retardation, fatigue, and feeling of lack of worth, reduced ability to concentrate and the availability of recurrent thoughts of death ( Kaiser, 2015 ).
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Prevalence of Major depression disorder
In a review, the prevalence of Major depression disorder was evaluated. This study included 36,309 participants who were interviewed in the year 2012 to 2013 ( Culpepper, 2015) . The diagnosis of major depressive disorder was arrived at when the participant had self-reported or observed for more than two weeks episodes of depressed mood, feeling hopeless and met other diagnostic criteria ( Culpepper, 2015) . According to this study the prevalence of major depressive disorders was 20.6% and in the period of 12 months, the prevalence was 10.4%. Among the participants of the study men, African America, Asian community and Hispanic adults had a low prevalence of the major depressive disorder in 12 months ( Culpepper, 2015) . On the other hand, young adults aged 18 to 29 years and the individuals with low income showed high prevalence rates of major depressive disorders. Among the patients with lifelong major depression disorders, about 12% of the participants in the study primarily occurred after the death of a loved one and these episodes lasted commonly less than two months ( Culpepper, 2015) .
Management of major depression disorders
One of the methods used in the management of major depressive disorder is using pharmacotherapy. This is management by use of antidepressants. This antidepressants’ majorly act by modulating the brain monoamine neurotransmission ( Driessen, 2015 ). Somatic therapy is another method used in the management of major depressive disorders which is the introduction of transient electric or magnetic current onto the scalp or automatically to the deep brain structure. Somatic therapy includes electroconvulsive therapy, transcranial magnetic stimulation, and vagus nerve Stimulation ( Driessen, 2015 ).
Another method of management of major depressive disorder is the use of the psychotherapy combined with pharmacotherapy mainly the antidepressants. In a study done to determine the efficiency difference between psychotherapy treatment and combined treatment for the major depressive disorder with 595 patients of major depression disorders enrolled as participants who were enrolled on six standardized treatment protocol ( Driessen, 2015 ). The results from this study indicated that combined therapy was not more effective when compared to psychotherapy alone. When using a combined method of management poor outcome was also obtained in women and older patients ( Driessen, 2015 ).
References
Culpepper, L., Muskin, P. R., & Stahl, S. M. (2015). Major depressive disorder: understanding the significance of residual symptoms and balancing efficacy with tolerability. The American journal of medicine , 128 (9), S1-S15.
Driessen, E., Hollon, S. D., Bockting, C. L., Cuijpers, P., & Turner, E. H. (2015). Does publication bias inflate the apparent efficacy of psychological treatment for major depressive disorder? A systematic review and meta-analysis of US National Institutes of Health-funded trials. PLoS One , 10 (9), e0137864.
Kaiser, R. H., Andrews-Hanna, J. R., Wager, T. D., & Pizzagalli, D. A. (2015). Large-scale network dysfunction in major depressive disorder: a meta-analysis of resting-state functional connectivity. JAMA psychiatry , 72 (6), 603-611.
