Recovery, chronicity, and levels of psychopathology in major depression.
Major depression is a chronic and recurrent disorder for many people who are afflicted by it. There is a wealth of literature addressing the course of this disorder with follow-up times varying from several months to several decades, which gives a remarkably consistent picture in treated and untreated populations. Fortunately, most people who develop major depression recover from their initial episode; unfortunately, a significant minority do not recover fully and a near majority develop additional episodes. This article examines a selected group of studies that have examined the course of depression, with a focus on a large naturalistic longitudinal prospective study of affective disorders--the NIMH Collaborative Depression Study.
Mueller
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Brown University School of Medicine, Providence, Rhode Island, USA.
Leon
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D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012008:Recurrence; D016896:Treatment Outcome