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Unipolar Depression

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Encyclopedia of Behavioral Medicine

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Synonyms

Depressive episode; Dysthymia; Major depressive disorder; Persistent depressive disorder

Definition and Description

Unipolar depression is a mood disorder characterized by either persistent feelings of sadness or emptiness or by diminished interest or pleasure in activities (anhedonia). These symptoms are often accompanied by a combination of emotional/cognitive and vegetative symptoms. Emotional/cognitive symptoms involve those that are related to how a person processes information, e.g., depressed mood, feeling worthless or excessively guilty, feeling helpless, hopelessness, irritability, anhedonia, difficulty thinking or decreased concentration, or suicidal ideation. Vegetative symptoms are those symptoms that are directly related to the body, e.g., insomnia/hypersomnia, dysregulated eating, fatigue, or decreased energy. Functional impairment caused by depression can range from mild to moderate to severe (American Psychiatric Association [APA] 2013).

Etiology

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Colorado-Denver, Denver, CO, USA

    Amy Wachholtz

  2. Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA

    Amy Wachholtz

  3. William James College, Newton, MA, USA

    Elizabeth Gleyzer

Authors
  1. Amy Wachholtz
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  2. Elizabeth Gleyzer
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Amy Wachholtz .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA

    Marc Gellman

Section Editor information

  1. School of Sport, Exercise & Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK

    Anna C. Whittaker

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Wachholtz, A., Gleyzer, E. (2018). Unipolar Depression. In: Gellman, M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Behavioral Medicine. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6439-6_1561-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6439-6_1561-3

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-6439-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-6439-6

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Chapter history

  1. Latest

    Unipolar Depression
    Published:
    11 October 2018

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6439-6_1561-3

  2. Original

    Unipolar Depression
    Published:
    22 September 2016

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6439-6_1561-2

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