MAJOR DEPRESSIVE DISORDER TREATMENTS
DEFINITIONS
Major Depressive Disorder
Major depression is one of the most common mental disorders in the United States. For some individuals, major depression can result in severe impairments that interfere with or limit one’s ability to carry out major life activities.
The 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) defines a major depressive episode as a period of at least two weeks when a person experienced a depressed mood or loss of interest or pleasure in daily activities, and had a majority of specified symptoms, such as problems with sleep, eating, energy, concentration, or self-worth.
In 2020, an estimated 14.8 million U.S. adults aged 18 or older had at least one major depressive episode with severe impairment in the past year. This number represented 6.0% of all U.S. adults.
Additional information can be found on the NIMH Health Topics page on Depression.