Course of disorder
Even though it can appear at any age major depressive disorder seems to peak in the 20th or later (DSM, 2013). The course of major depressive disorder can vary from person to person. Some people rarely experience remission, while other have discrete episodes of depression with many years without symptoms in between. Early diagnosis of this disorder is very important. Chronic depressive disorder increases risk for underlying personality, anxiety, and substance use disorders and decreases likelihood of positive treatment outcomes. Treatment recent to onset of major depression symptoms significantly increases likelihood of near-term recovery, and many individuals who have been depressed for several months can recover spontaneously.
Even though it can appear at any age major depressive disorder seems to peak in the 20th or later (DSM, 2013). The course of major depressive disorder can vary from person to person. Some people rarely experience remission, while other have discrete episodes of depression with many years without symptoms in between. Early diagnosis of this disorder is very important. Chronic depressive disorder increases risk for underlying personality, anxiety, and substance use disorders and decreases likelihood of positive treatment outcomes. Treatment recent to onset of major depression symptoms significantly increases likelihood of near-term recovery, and many individuals who have been depressed for several months can recover spontaneously.