ABSTRACT
The rates of mild to moderate depressive symptoms, independent of specific disorder, are even higher and are estimated in several independent studies as being in the range of about 15% current prevalence. The clinical course and importance of depressive symptoms are unclear. For example, it is unclear whether depressive symptoms are a risk factor for a later clinical depression or whether they predict physical health problems and mortality. The data on depressive diagnosis and age of onset were obtained retrospectively and are subject to problems of recall and difficulty in ascertaining onset for any chronic disease. Clinically, the findings suggest that there is value in routine assessment of depressive symptoms using relatively simple self-report measures. The interpretation of the data is less clear with respect to theoretical implications. There are at least two alternative explanations: the prodromal endogenous disorder versus cumulative stress.
