Depressive disorder is a common mental disorder that involves a depressed mood or loss of pleasure or interest in activities for long periods. It is a significant health concern affecting millions of individuals worldwide. It differs from regular mood changes and feelings about everyday life (Depressive). On an estimate, 3.8% of the population experiences depression including 5% of adults and 5.7% of adults older than 60 years old. The DSM-5 is a crucial tool in the diagnostic process that provides guideline criteria for health care providers. It leads to better outcomes for treatments and improves patient care. An accurate diagnosis is important for effective mental health treatment therefore it plays a crucial role in guiding appropriate care. Proper identification of depressive mental disorder is vital, it will help improve treatment strategies, patient outcomes, and their overall quality of life. Research consistently shows that the DSM-5 criteria are crucial for an accurate diagnosis of individuals who are experiencing symptoms of depressive mental disorder.
Depressive mental health disorder, referred to as depression, is defined as a mood disorder "that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest in things and activities you once enjoyed. It can also cause difficulty with thinking, memory, eating, and sleeping" (Cleveland Clinic). Symptoms of depression can vary among individuals who are experiencing them but it often includes changes in appetite and sleep patterns, difficulty concentrating, fatigue, and thoughts of suicide or death. It has impacted both individuals and society in detrimental ways. Since depression can lead to emotional and physical distress, it impairs an individual's ability to function in their everyday life. Symptoms such as fatigue, loss of interest, and persistent sadness, reduce productivity and lead to impairing personal relationships, which causes social isolation and overall quality of life (Cleveland Clinic). Depression can co-exist with other mental conditions like anxiety disorders that can complicate the process of diagnosis. Understanding the underlying causes of depressive mental disorders is crucial for accurate diagnosis and effective treatment which involves the need for the standardized criteria provided by the DSM-5.
Genetics also plays a role in causing a risk for development but also affects clinical presentation, treatment response, and recurrence risk. Individuals with a family history of depression are at a higher risk of developing the disorders at some point in their lives. It appears that there is a gene within families that seems to be prevalent for depression. "The chromosome 3p25-26 was found in more than 800 families with recurrent depression" (Faris). Scientists also believe that 40 percent of those with depression can be traced back to a genetic link. However, depression is considered to be a complex disorder with a polygenic nature therefore multiple genes may contribute to its development while interacting with environmental factors. Understanding the genetics behind depression not only helps with identifying those individuals who are at high risk of the disorder but also helps with the development of personalized treatment approaches, such as pharmacogenetics.
Pharmacogenomics, which is also known as pharmacogenetics, is "the study of how our genes affect the way we respond to medications" (Cleveland Clinic). The treatment is personalized based on an individual's genes, environment, and lifestyle and it can help their provider prescribe the correct medication that'll work for them specifically. It helps with the safety of the medication to avoid prescribing something harmful to the patients and knowing the correct medication, in the beginning, can avoid multiple different prescriptions when being diagnosed by the DSM-5.
The DSM-5, known as the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, is a reference book on mental health and brain-related conditions and disorders that professionals use in the medical field to care for patients (Cleveland Clinic) It is best to be trained in the field to properly use the DSM-5 but it is also a good learning tool if individuals are interested in the topic of psychologist or psychiatrist. It was created by multiple different types of mental healthcare professionals worldwide including psychiatrists and psychologists therefore it provided a structured framework meaning step-by-step on how to obtain a proper diagnosis. It reflects the latest advances in psychiatric research and clinical practice therefore it aims to improve diagnostic accuracy. It is important to understand the multiple different types of terms used in the DSM-5 when learning about a specific disorder.
The DSM-5 is split into three different sections, each providing a specific purpose for a proper diagnosis and understanding of mental disorders. Section one covers the basics of how professionals should include the book in their work when working with individuals, outlining its use, development, and organization as well. It provides an explanation of the changes from previous DSM-5 editions and how to use the manual. Section two covers the diagnostic criteria and the codes for all recognized mental disorders, which is the largest section in the book because each chapter provides information on specific conditions defined in detail. Section three covers certain assessment tools, that healthcare providers use as a guideline for diagnosing patients (Cleveland Clinic). It also states that cultural differences may affect the diagnosis as well.
It outlines specific criteria for Major Depressive Disorder and Persistent Depressive Disorder ensuring that each one is properly treated and appropriately identified. The symptoms between them can cause significant distress or impairment to an individual's social capabilities. The guidelines in the DSM-5 must be clear to avoid the risk of misdiagnosis and improve the communication of the common language among professionals in the mental health field. It is being updated consistently over time to reflect the latest findings and ensure it stays relevant with time.
The DSM-5 criteria offer plenty of benefits for being an important tool due to the accuracy and consistency it provides for the diagnostic process. An accurate diagnosis is considered to be crucial because it will help with developing effective treatment plans for the patient's specific needs. It enhances understanding and improves communication among healthcare professionals. Since the DSM-5 has a standardized criteria outline, the providers can understand the assessments needed for a diagnosis when specific symptoms are occurring. The standardization of the diagnoses "helps ensure that the clients receive appropriate, helpful treatment regardless of location, social class, or ability to pay" (Fritscher). Overall, it enhances mental health care quality by enabling effective treatment for patients, proper diagnostics, and effective collaboration among health care professionals. Also, it becomes important to avoid misdiagnosing someone if they are experiencing specific symptoms as well.
It is stated that "on average, the researchers estimated that 11 percent of medical problems result in a misdiagnosis, although the error rates vary widely depending on the disease" (Cherry). A misdiagnosis of depressive mental health disorders can be from a variety of causes which will complicate the path of treatment for individuals. A problem that will most likely occur is overlapping the symptoms between other mental health conditions like anxiety or bipolar disorder. The similarities between them can confuse and lead to errors in diagnosis if the assessments are not being done for the patient
Work Cited
Holt Educational Consultant - / 15169 
4859 The first paragraph is always the introduction to the topic. That is the place where you can give a background of the subject, share what makes this an interesting research topic, and describe what drove you to do this research. It is an overview of the contents of your paper. Since it is an overview, it should not contain any actual information yet. Factual information such as measurements should not be included in that section. Instead, those should be integrated into the proper section within the body of the research paper. You may keep the highlighted sentence at the end as a part of your thesis statement.
Information in the paper feels too academic. It is based solely on research, which is fine, if you were dealing with a topic that could not be physically surveyed or, if you were not working on a topic where access to the people suffering from it would be hard to find. More interest and a strength in your research paper will be found if you include interviews or surveys of say, classmates, friends, or relatives, or even complete strangers who were willing to take part in a short interview about depression symptoms and the like, before you launch into your academic basis of information.
