The Syndrome of Clinical Depression

Depression is a syndrome. This chapter explains the general concept of a syndrome and outlines the specific symptoms that characterize the mood syndrome of clinical depression. Evidence for the validity of the depressive syndrome is briefly discussed. For each symptom, clinical examples are provided. In addition to the official symptoms of depression, there are “unofficial” symptoms or problems that are commonly observed in depressed persons. The reader is given tools to distinguish clinical depression from an ordinary sad mood. The concept of mood severity is explained, with examples of mild versus more severe clinical depression. Finally, some of the differences and similarities between unipolar and bipolar mood syndromes are enumerated.