“I’m not good enough”, “Nothing will ever get better”, and “Nobody cares” are just some of the everyday thoughts experienced by approximately 8% of the United States population. This group of people suffer from what can be a highly debilitating mental illness: major depressive disorder (MDD). Also known as unipolar depression, this disorder causes one to experience extreme sadness and hopelessness (Comer, 2015). Affecting women twice as often as men, MDD has a variety of symptoms, causes and treatments. These can be seen in the case study of Ms. P. and may be applied when creating possible treatment plans, as well as predicting possible outcomes. At 27 years old, Ms. P. has had a relatively difficult upbringing and has faced many stressful
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P.’s general life experiences, especially with her family, and her behaviors, it is highly likely that she has major depressive disorder. While there is a possibility that she has manic depression, her case, as described, does not fir the DSM-V diagnostic criteria well enough for her to receive that diagnosis. This is because she has no history of a manic episode, which is required for the diagnosis manic depression (Comer, 2015). She could also have persistent depressive disorder, but there is not enough information presented in her case to make that diagnosis. While she does not have the manic episode, as mentioned before, that would exclude her from having this disorder, the length of time of her symptoms cannot be clearly determined. In order to receive this disorder, one must have symptoms for at least two years (Comer, 2015). It is unknown how long her symptoms have currently persisted. While these mental illnesses cannot be completely disregarded in making her diagnosis, she more closely fits the criteria for MDD. She has, for at least several months, had a depressed mood and decreased interest in her activities throughout the day. She has also experienced weight changes, increased amounts of sleep, feelings of worthlessness, reduced ability to concentrate, and thoughts of suicide. All of these are symptoms used to classify MDD (Comer, 2015). Therefore, Ms. P. may receive the diagnosis of major depressive disorder, with a moderate severity …show more content…
P. The diagnostic criteria for this disorder are relatively specific. For two weeks, one must have a expressed mood or a change in level of enjoyment. There must be three or more symptoms such as changes in weight, changes in sleep, agitation, decreased activity, self-deprecating feelings, decreased concentration, or suicidal ideations. These symptoms must also not be the result of drug use or other medical conditions. In order to specifically be major depressive disorder, there must be no history of mania. Furthermore, this disorder may be subcategorized. It is determined to be seasonal if episodes occur during changes in the time of year, catatonic if physical activity is changed to an extreme, or peripartum if the episode occurs while the patient is pregnant. It may also be considered melancholic if the sufferer experiences no joy at all (Comer, 2015). These are the most recent diagnostic criteria from the
P.’s general life experiences, especially with her family, and her behaviors, it is highly likely that she has major depressive disorder. While there is a possibility that she has manic depression, her case, as described, does not fir the DSM-V diagnostic criteria well enough for her to receive that diagnosis. This is because she has no history of a manic episode, which is required for the diagnosis manic depression (Comer, 2015). She could also have persistent depressive disorder, but there is not enough information presented in her case to make that diagnosis. While she does not have the manic episode, as mentioned before, that would exclude her from having this disorder, the length of time of her symptoms cannot be clearly determined. In order to receive this disorder, one must have symptoms for at least two years (Comer, 2015). It is unknown how long her symptoms have currently persisted. While these mental illnesses cannot be completely disregarded in making her diagnosis, she more closely fits the criteria for MDD. She has, for at least several months, had a depressed mood and decreased interest in her activities throughout the day. She has also experienced weight changes, increased amounts of sleep, feelings of worthlessness, reduced ability to concentrate, and thoughts of suicide. All of these are symptoms used to classify MDD (Comer, 2015). Therefore, Ms. P. may receive the diagnosis of major depressive disorder, with a moderate severity …show more content…
P. The diagnostic criteria for this disorder are relatively specific. For two weeks, one must have a expressed mood or a change in level of enjoyment. There must be three or more symptoms such as changes in weight, changes in sleep, agitation, decreased activity, self-deprecating feelings, decreased concentration, or suicidal ideations. These symptoms must also not be the result of drug use or other medical conditions. In order to specifically be major depressive disorder, there must be no history of mania. Furthermore, this disorder may be subcategorized. It is determined to be seasonal if episodes occur during changes in the time of year, catatonic if physical activity is changed to an extreme, or peripartum if the episode occurs while the patient is pregnant. It may also be considered melancholic if the sufferer experiences no joy at all (Comer, 2015). These are the most recent diagnostic criteria from the