As the years have progressed, many professionals throughout the world have and continue to study psychological disorders, thus permitting a deepening of knowledge throughout many. Various genetic and environmental factors play a big role in the pre-disposition of such as well as its development and severity which, in consequence, make them more complicated than may seem. Major depressive disorder is an incredibly stigmatized condition in which many individuals are affected on a daily basis. In this paper, I will be introducing the disorder along with some statistics, as well as various symptoms associated with this psychological illness. In addition, I will present the possible etiology and some treatment options that are offered to those in need.
Major depressive disorder, which is also known by the acronyms MDD, is a mental disorder that is particularly characterized by a persistent depressive mood over a course of at least two weeks in which the symptoms that the researchers have formulated must be present nearly every day, except for suicidal ideation, and a saddened mood must also be present for most of the individuals day (American Psychiatric Association, 2013, p.169). Statistically, the gender ratio for this particular disorder leans towards the females more than the males. In the United States of America, in the beginning of adolescence, females experience between one and a half to three times higher diagnoses when compared to the opposite sex (American Psychiatric Association, 2013, p.165). Consequently, women are more likely to attempt suicide. Despite this fact, the age at which it manifests is not affected as it may appear at any moment during the person’s life, though it tends to peak during the twenties and the first symptoms do not usually appear during the later years (American Psychiatric Association, 2013, p.165).
Individuals who show symptoms suggesting major depressive disorder tend to follow a certain guideline, despite the various possibilities. In The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, there are nine diagnostic criteria symptoms that are most prominent and reoccurring throughout the analytical process such as experiencing a depressive mood throughout most of the day, a remarkable loss in most of, if not all activities throughout the majority of one’s day, nearly every day, a noticeably large amount of weight loss or the complete opposite involuntarily (American Psychiatric Association, 2013, p.160-161). On top of these symptoms, researchers have also remarked that individuals affected have not been sleeping enough or sleeping too much on a daily basis, proceeding too quickly or too slowly daily, a persistent decrease in energy, feeling worthless and guilty about things that are beyond their control along with a decrease or almost complete loss of concentration or ability to make decisions clearly and effectively and finally, suicidal thoughts (American Psychiatric Association, 2013, p.160-161).
As depicted previously, there are many aspects that may cause major depressive disorder. Various researches have been conducted and the results show a wide range of reasons from personal conflicts such as bad integration skills within society, problems with romantic partners and so on, to developmental events that may occur in one’s childhood, and also biological factors such as genetic pre-disposition from one’s immediate members of their family. (Khalsa, McCarthy, Sharpless, Barrett & Barber, 2011, p.539). Similarly, in the The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, causing factors are approximately the same, with the addition of course modifiers (American Psychiatric Association, 2013, p.166). Course modifiers are described as when any disorder that is not related to one’s mood can intensify their risk of developing depression. (American Psychiatric Association, 2013, p.166). For example, when an individual is dealing with anxiety, the signs of a depressive episode may begin to occur. (American Psychiatric Association, 2013, p.166). Moreover, medical conditions such as diabetes, obesity and so on may affect one’s depressive episodes, which tend to become more reoccurring than in individua’s who are considered healthy in a medical perspective.
Furthermore, individuals who are diagnosed with major depressive disorder have a wide variety of treatment options that are readily accessible to them. The treatments that are the most preferred are psychotherapy and the use of antidepressants (Goldstein & Rosselli, 2003, p.558). Scientific researches have been conducted and deemed cognitive, behavioral and interpersonal psychotherapy effective as well as the use of pharmaceutical drugs to help with the balancing of chemicals within the individuals brain (Chamless & Ollendic, 2001 in Khalsa, McCarthy, Sharpless, Barrett & Barber, 2011, p.539). Often times when patients seek a professional to help deal with their diagnoses, they often have a type of treatment that they would like to try already as they believe it would be the most effective