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May 19, 2013
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Depression (cont.)

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Depression Prognosis

Untreated episodes of clinical depression typically last from six to 24 months.

Properly treated episodes are much shorter in most people.

  • About two-thirds of people will recover and be able to return to their normal activities within days or weeks.
  • About 25% of all people will continue to exhibit moderate to severe symptoms for months to years after the initial episode.
  • Nearly 10% of people with depression will have continuous or intermittent symptoms for two or more years. A person who has one episode of depression should be on the lookout for recurrent episodes of depression, since these occur about 50% of the time. However, quick treatment will usually be effective for these recurrent depressions, as well.

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Depression - Effective Treatments

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Read What Your Physician is Reading on Medscape

Depression »

Major depression, also known as unipolar depression, is one of the more commonly encountered psychiatric disorders.

Read More on Medscape Reference »


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