Introduction to Depressive Disorders

What you’ll learn to do: describe the characteristic symptoms and risk factors of depressive disorders

Black and white photograph of a woman sitting on a bench by herself with her head down.

Mood disorders are those in which the person experiences severe disturbances in mood and emotion. Depressive disorders include major depressive disorder, which is characterized by episodes of profound sadness and loss of interest or pleasure in usual activities and other associated features, and persistent depressive disorder, which is marked by a chronic state of sadness. Other depressive disorders include depressive disorder due to another medical condition, other specified or unspecified depressive disorders, and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).