Depression: Identifying Symptoms and Appropriate Treatment
Monica Holmberg, PharmD Published Online: Monday, May 1, 2006
Follow Pharmacy_Times:  The fourth edition of the Diagnostic and
Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders describes a major
depressive episode (MDE) as a 2- week period of depressed mood,
loss of interest, or loss of pleasure and at least 4 other
symptoms of functional change, such as changes in sleeping
habits, eating habits, energy levels, concentration, or self-
image.1 An MDE rarely is an isolated event; in the 2 years
following the first MDE, the recurrence rate is 40%2 (sidebar).
The incidence of depression on the whole is far from rare.
Approximately 5.4% to 8.9% of people in the United States?and
nearly 121 million people worldwide?are affected by
depression.1,3 The incidence in this country in 2006 is
projected to be 9.5% (19 million adults).4 Depression is a
leading cause of disability in the overall population and is
worthy of attention by all health care providers.2  Causes and R