Conditions sharing a core feature of sad, empty, or irritable mood accompanied by changes that significantly affect functioning.
A prominent and persistent disturbance of mood characterized by depressed mood or markedly diminished interest/pleasure that is judged, from history, physical exam, or laboratory findings, to be the direct pathophysiological consequence of another medical condition (such as hypothyroidism, stroke, or Parkinson's disease).
Severe, recurrent temper outbursts grossly out of proportion to the situation, occurring 3+ times per week, against a backdrop of persistently irritable or angry mood between outbursts, with onset before age 10 -- designed to reduce over-diagnosis of pediatric Bipolar Disorder.
A discrete episode of persistently low mood and/or loss of interest lasting at least two weeks, accompanied by a cluster of physical, cognitive, and behavioral changes severe enough to impair functioning.
A residual classification for presentations with depressive symptoms causing clinically significant distress or impairment that do not meet full criteria for Major Depressive Disorder, Persistent Depressive Disorder, or another named depressive disorder, where the clinician documents the specific reason.
A chronic, lower-grade depressive mood present for most of the day, more days than not, for at least two years in adults (one year in children/adolescents) -- persistence rather than intensity is the defining feature.
A pattern of mood, physical, and behavioral symptoms occurring in the final week before menses, improving within a few days after onset, and minimal or absent in the week post-menses -- confirmed by prospective daily ratings across two or more cycles.
A prominent and persistent disturbance of mood characterized by depressed mood or markedly diminished interest/pleasure that developed during or soon after substance intoxication, withdrawal, or exposure to a medication capable of producing depressive symptoms, where the substance/medication is judged etiologically related to the disturbance.
A residual classification for presentations with depressive symptoms causing clinically significant distress or impairment that do not meet full criteria for a named depressive disorder, used when there is insufficient information to specify the reason.
A residual classification used when a presentation clearly involves mood symptoms causing clinically significant distress or impairment, but there is not yet enough information to determine whether a depressive or bipolar disorder is the better fit.
Recognize Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder's required combination of severe outbursts AND persistent between-outburst irritable mood, distinguished from ODD and pediatric bipolar disorder.
Distinguish depression caused directly by a medical condition from a medication-induced or independent depressive episode.
Distinguish depressive symptoms caused by a medication's known depressogenic effect from an independent major depressive episode.
Distinguish Other Specified Depressive Disorder (reason documented) from Unspecified Depressive Disorder (insufficient information) and Major Depressive Disorder.
Recognize when uncertainty about a manic/hypomanic history, not just depressive severity, justifies Unspecified Mood Disorder over Unspecified Depressive Disorder.
Distinguish a major depressive episode from normal adjustment stress and from a bipolar-spectrum presentation.