Major depressive disorder criteria include which of the following combinations of symptoms?

Major depressive disorder criteria include which of the following combinations of symptoms?

• A. One week of depressed mood
• B. Two or more weeks of significantly depressed mood, worthlessness, and diminished interest or pleasure in most activities
• C. Six months of minor mood fluctuations
• D. A single episode of mania

Answer: (B)

Major depressive disorder is diagnosed when a person experiences a depressive episode lasting at least two weeks, with depressed mood or loss of interest or pleasure in most activities, plus enough additional symptoms to cause distress or impairment. The option describes two or more weeks of depressed mood along with worthlessness and diminished interest, which embodies both the duration criterion and the core mood disturbance plus anhedonia that characterize a depressive episode. This aligns with how the disorder is defined in practice: a sustained period (at least two weeks) of significant mood change and related symptoms that impair functioning. The other descriptions don’t fit: one week is too short to establish a depressive episode; six months of minor mood fluctuations suggests chronic but mild issues rather than a discrete depressive episode with substantial impact; a single episode of mania points to a mood state opposite to depression.

Major depressive disorder is diagnosed when a person experiences a depressive episode lasting at least two weeks, with depressed mood or loss of interest or pleasure in most activities, plus enough additional symptoms to cause distress or impairment. The option describes two or more weeks of depressed mood along with worthlessness and diminished interest, which embodies both the duration criterion and the core mood disturbance plus anhedonia that characterize a depressive episode. This aligns with how the disorder is defined in practice: a sustained period (at least two weeks) of significant mood change and related symptoms that impair functioning.

The other descriptions don’t fit: one week is too short to establish a depressive episode; six months of minor mood fluctuations suggests chronic but mild issues rather than a discrete depressive episode with substantial impact; a single episode of mania points to a mood state opposite to depression.