Trastornos del humor: trastornos depresivos

Abstract

Mood disorders are part of the human affective experience. Sadness can be present in most medical illnesses and certain moments in life, without it constituting a depressive disorder. However, clinical depression is one of the most prevalent psychiatric diseases and does not differentiate by age, race and social class. Major depression is the eleventh leading cause of disability worldwide and represents a significant burden for the caregivers of those with the disease. Between 5% and 10% of the Spanish population will experience depression, and 15% of these cases end in suicide. This update will review the etiopathogenic factors, clinical manifestations and subtypes, the main alternatives to rule out in its differential diagnosis, the prognosis, complications and comorbidity. The update will end with an extensive perspective on the various treatments, according to the subtype of the depression and the response to initial treatment.