Major depressive episode

Major depressive episode is a key symptom of major depressive disorder. It is characterized by severe, highly persistent depression, which is often manifested by lack of appetite, chronic fatigue, lethargy, and sleep disturbances (somnipathy). The victim may think about suicide, and in fact an increased risk of actual suicide is present.

Major depressive disorder: Signs and symptoms

Diagnosis of an episode in children is more difficult than in adults and is often left undiagnosed, and thus untreated, because the symptoms in children are often written off as normal childhood moodiness. Diagnosis is also made difficult because children are more likely than adults to show different symptoms depending on the situation.

Bipoalr Disorder: Course

Bipolar disorder is often a cyclic illness where people periodically exhibit elevated (manic) and depressive episodes. Most people will experience a number of episodes, averaging 0.4 to 0.7 a year with each lasting three to six months, although some will experience only a single mood episode.[7][8] Late adolescence and early adulthood are peak years for the onset of the illness.[9][10] These are critical periods in a young adult’s social and vocational development, and they can be severely disrupted by disease onset.

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