See the “Differential Diagnosis” section for Major Depressive Episode. A history of a Manic, Mixed, or Hypomanic Episode precludes the diagnosis of Major Depressive… » »   

A. Presence of a single Major Depressive Episode.

B. The Major Depressive Episode is not better accounted for by Schizoaffective Disorder and… » »   

A. Presence of two or more Major Depressive Episodes.
Note: To be considered separate episodes, there must be an interval of at… » »   

Associated descriptive features and mental disorders. Major Depressive Disorder is associated with high mortality. Up to 15% of individuals with severe Major Depressive Disorder… » »   

The diagnostic codes for Major Depressive Disorder are selected as follows:

1. The first three digits are 296.
2. The… » »   

Specific culture-related features are discussed in the text for Major Depressive Episode. Epidemiological studies suggest significant cohort effects in risk of depression. For example,… » »   

Major Depressive Disorder may begin at any age, with an average age at onset in the mid-20s. Epidemiological data suggest that the age at… » »   

The essential feature of Major Depressive Disorder is a clinical course that is characterized by one or more Major Depressive Episodes (see page 349)… » »   

If the full criteria are currently met for a Major Depressive Episode, the following specifiers may be used to describe the current clinical status… » »