Giovanna Spantigati

How to recognize the leading depressive episode.
The World Health Organization has established precise criteria for the diagnosis of the leading depressive episode. According to the DSM IV, the reference book with diagnostic criteria for all psychiatrists in the world, you can make the diagnosis when they are simultaneously five or more of the following symptoms, for at least two weeks: - depressed mood and evident diminished interest or pleasure for daily activities: the person feels empty and without energy - change in appetite, more often with less appetite, with significant weight loss (5% of body weight in a month), or increased appetite and weight;

- Sleep disturbance, most often in the form of insomnia with early morning awakening, psychomotor distress or slowdown - fatigue, feeling of exhaustion but not based on physical exertion; - feelings of worthlessness or excessive or inappropriate guilt; - reduction of concentration, attention and memory - Recurrent thoughts of death (not just fear of dying), recurrent suicidal ideation without a specific plan or a specific plan to commit suicide. Therefore, when there are at least five of these symptoms for at least two weeks, you can talk about depression in the acute phase and it requires the intervention of a specialist.

Single Episode. This diagnostic category includes a heterogeneous group of patients who experienced a single depressive episode and who have great chances in life to head to further stages of the disease. It rarely happens that the depressive episode occurs only once, and it is estimated at around 15%. Yet, there is a subset of patients who have a single episode of depression around 55-60 years, ten years later than other subtypes, and often with a chronic course lasting more than two years. It is often related to events of great emotional existential impact or physical illness. (Dr. Salvatore Di Salvo) End of Part Five.

Giovanna Spantigati