title: Implications of the DSM's emphasis on sadness and anhedonia in major depressive disorder.
abstract: At least five symptoms must occur for a DSM diagnosis of major depressive disorder (MDD), one of which must be sadness or anhedonia. The present study is the first known investigation of the implications of the presence or absence of these prioritized symptoms on symptom expression and clinical characteristics among 564 young adults with MDD. Differences in symptom expression and clinical characteristics occurred among MDD participants with sadness relative to those without sadness as well as among MDD participants with anhedonia relative to those without anhedonia. Differential symptom expression could have important implications for the etiology, prevention, and treatment of MDD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32312-1270, USA.
authors.forename: Julia D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Buckner
authors.forename: Thomas E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Joiner
authors.forename: Jeremy W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Pettit
authors.forename: Peter M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Lewinsohn
authors.forename: Norman B
authors.initials: NB
authors.lastname: Schmidt
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D017668:Age of Onset; D015897:Comorbidity; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015995:Prevalence; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011594:Psychometrics; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012737:Sex Factors