ABSTRACT
Depression, as conceived of here, is a syndrome that may
result from any one of a large number of underlying causes.
Although the most common cause of depression is major
depressive disorder, it is critical to subject each depressed
patient to a thorough diagnostic evaluation before conclud-
ing that major depressive disorder, or perhaps one of the
other primary mood disorders discussed below, is the cause.
The syndrome of depression, in its fully developed form,
includes not only a depressed or irritable mood, but also
other symptoms, as listed in Table 7.1, and each of these is
considered in turn.
