According to the WHO, depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide. Many people experience a decline in mood in the form of chronic sadness and associated behavioral, cognitive and emotional problems that prevent them from leading a full life.
The DSM-5 establishes very clearly what the diagnostic criteria are for major depressive disorder, indicating that the patient must present a minimum of five of the nine symptoms that are specified in this manual for depression.
But… What happens to those who have symptoms but do not meet that minimum? These people would fall within the idea of subclinical depression, a problem without as many symptoms as major depression but equally disabling and generating discomfort. Let’s delve into this health problem.
depression is a psychological problem with different symptoms. Among the most characteristic ones we find a decline in mood, a reduction in the ability to experience pleasure and a decrease in self-esteem, all accompanied by corresponding affective, cognitive and behavioral manifestations.
According to the WHO (World Health Organization), depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide. Its mildest variant, subclinical depression, also has important repercussions on the quality of life of those affected..
The term “subclinical” refers to the fact that the person is manifesting symptoms similar to those of the disorder, but not enough of them to fulfill the diagnosis of the specific syndrome, disorder or disease. Applied to mood disorders, subclinical depression is that condition in which some symptoms of depression occur, but not enough to be able to make the diagnosis. People with subclinical depression may experience brief, recurrent episodes of depressive symptoms.
Subclinical depression is a condition that has important implications for the functioning and well-being of those who suffer from it. Although this condition is milder than in cases of major depression, it is known that people with subclinical depression present a significant deterioration in life and show worse work, academic and social performance. Additionally, they are at risk of progressing to major depressive disorder and falling into addiction.
There are no uniform criteria regarding the definition of what subclinical depression is.. In fact, there is no unequivocal terminology regarding this condition, finding in the expert literature all kinds of names for what we call here subclinical depression, such as subsyndromal depression, minor depression and non-specific depressive symptoms. Despite this disparity in terms of its name, in most cases subclinical depression is considered to be depression in which the patient presents at least two characteristic symptoms of major depressive disorder.
In the current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), subclinical depression is classified within the category “other specific depressive disorder” and “depressive episode with insufficient symptoms.”
Symptoms of this condition
The symptoms of subclinical depression coincide with those of major depressive disorder, The main difference between both health conditions is that in subclinical conditions there are fewer symptoms or they present in a milder form..
To receive a diagnosis of major depressive disorder, a minimum of five of the symptoms just mentioned must be present., and that the patient indicates having presented them during the last two weeks. In the case of subclinical depression, these symptoms are reduced to a minimum of two and a maximum of four.
Early detection is key to successful treatment. In cases of subclinical depression, treatment is aimed at ensuring that the symptoms do not worsen and degenerate into a case of major depressive disorder. No matter how mild they may be, the symptoms of subclinical depression are still just that, symptoms, which can be very disabling.
Causes of subclinical depression
Depression is a very complex mental condition, which can be influenced by several different factors. Some risk factors can increase the likelihood that a person will experience symptoms of depression, including genetics, family history, history of abuse and trauma, use of some drugs, significant life changes, stress, medical illness, and substance abuse.
Subclinical depression is still depression, only milder, with fewer symptoms. Thus, the causes behind suffering from this minor depression would be the same as for major depression, only they would not have acted as strongly or as well. the person would have some type of protective factor that would have prevented them from developing the serious disorder.
However, it is worth insisting on the idea that presenting mild symptoms of depression is in itself a risk factor for later presenting major depression.
Diagnosis
As we said, subclinical depression is a case of depression in which sufficient criteria are not met to be diagnosed as such. Many people present depressive symptoms but, if there are not enough of them, they would not receive the diagnosis of major depressive disorder..
Several studies suggest that subclinical depression can have as much impact on a person’s functioning as major depression. subclinical depression can have the same negative effects on the patient’s general health as major depression, only in a less intense way. In this sense, some experts and researchers on this issue consider that depression would be more of a spectrum, a continuum from fewer to more depressive symptoms.
