Major Depressive Disorder Analysis

Major Depressive Disorder affects nearly 7% of the US adult population. Four factors typically sustain depression. Factors include social seclusion, poor attitude, gripping fear, and a profound feeling of inadequacy, and humility. Major Depressive Disorder falls under the Unipolar Depression and is associated with different types. Reactive depression which is a response to a specific external event or events; physical based; mixed depression which involves both reactive and biological; and atypical depression which is a more severe biological depression (Wegmann, 2015). MDD should be treated with evidence-based treatment. Psychopharmacology is often the first-line treatment. Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) are typically the first-line

The criteria for a diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder is to have five or more of the following symptoms, which have been present during the same 2-week period and represent a change from previous functioning; at least one of the symptoms is either (1) depressed mood or (2) loss of interest of pleasure. Five of the following must be present: Depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day, as indicated by either subjective report or observable by others; marked diminished interest of pleasure in all or almost all of activities; significant weight loss or gain not attributed to dieting or decreased or increased appetite; insomnia or hypersomnia nearly every day; psychomotor agitation or retardation nearly every day; fatigue or loss of energy nearly every day; feelings of worthlessness or excessive or inappropriate guilt; diminished ability to think or concentrate; and recurrent thoughts of death, suicidal ideation without specific plan. The symptoms cause clinical significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning. The episode is not attributed to other physiological effects, substance, or other medical condition. The occurrence of MDD is not better-explained bay other disorders such as schizoaffective disorder, schizophrenia, schizophreniform disorder, delusional disorder, or other specified

al. created a small study with only seven subjects and utilized imaging with hexametylpropyleneamine oxime single photon emission computer tomography, the Hamilton depression scale, and the Beck Depression Inventory to determine if venlafaxine was associated with rCBF changes in the limbic and frontal regions (2003). Davies, et. al research “showed a significant increase in blood flow after treatment with Venlafaxine in the thalamus bilaterally, significant rCBF decreases in the right posterior temporal lobe, left occipital lob, and right cerebellum” (Davies, et. al., 2003,p.375). Previous studies have shown lower rCBF baseline in depressed patients as in healthy individuals. Davies, et. al. identifies that this is “the first study that confirms changes in cerebral blood flow and the effects of treatment with venlafaxine” (2003, p.