Depression: The Four Most Important Symptoms

Depression: The Four Most Important Symptoms

By Jeremy Dean 

Out of 28 different symptoms of depression, these four are the most important.

Some symptoms of depression are much more central to the condition than others, a new study finds.

These are:

1. Sad mood.
2. Decreased interest in life or pleasure.
3. Energy loss.
4. Concentration problems.

Despite this, psychiatrists and psychologists sometimes use longer ‘checklists’ of symptoms to diagnose depression.

They then add them up, sometimeswithout regard to which symptoms are more important.

Dr Eiko Fried, who led the study, said:

“We need to stop thinking of depression as a disease that causes a number of interchangeable symptoms.

Depression is a complex, extremely heterogeneous system of interacting symptoms.

And some of these symptoms may be far more important than others.”

Researchers looked at 28 different symptoms of depression.