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Table 1 Definition and duration of minor and subsyndromal depressive disorders

From: Definitions and factors associated with subthreshold depressive conditions: a systematic review

Name

Threshold

Symptom set

Duration

Minor depression (Al-Windi, [10])

Total number of symptoms not exceeding 4

DSM-IV

2 weeks

Minor depression (Vuorilehto et al., [11])

Two to four depressive symptoms (at least one core symptom)

DSM-IV

2 weeks

Subsyndromal depression (Vuorilehto et al., [11])

Two to four current depression symptoms (at least one core symptom) and fulfilling the criteria of lifetime MDD

DSM-IV

2 weeks

Subthreshold depression (Rucci et al., [12])

Any of the three symptoms (criterion B) plus three or more symptoms (criterion C)

ICD-10 depressive episode

None

Minor depression (Dubini et al., 2001 [13])

Two to four depressive symptoms (at least one core symptom)

DSM-IV

2 weeks

Subsyndromal symptomatic depression (Forsell, [8])

Two or more symptoms of depression present most or all the time and social impairment due to them

DSM-III major depressive disorder

2 weeks

Nonspecific depressive symptoms (Backenstrass et al., [14])

Two or more symptoms of depression present more than half the days, must not meet the A criterion (depressed mood or anhedonia) but the C criterion (impairment) has to be answered

DSM-IV major depressive disorder

2 weeks

Subsyndromal depression (da Silva Lima et al., [15])

Not fulfilling the CIDI criteria for major depression

CIDI major depression

None

Subthreshold depresión (Fergusson et al., [16])

Depressed mood or loss of interest but having less than five more symptoms or not reporting significant impairment

DSM-IV major depressive disorder

2 weeks

Subsyndromal depresión (Goldney et al., [9])

Two or more depressive symptoms present for all or most of the time but not meeting the criteria for major depression, minor depression or dysthymia

DSM-III-R major depressive disorder

2 weeks

Subsyndromal depression (Ayuso-Mateos et al., [17])

Between one and four depressive symptoms during most of the day and not meeting the criteria for depressive episode or brief episode

ICD-10

2 weeks

Minor depression (Lamers et al., [18])

Two to four depressive symptoms (at least one core symptom)

DSM-IV

2 weeks

Subthreshold depression (Regeer et al., [19])

Not fulfilling the CIDI criteria for Major Depression

DSM-III-R/IV Major Depressive Disorder

2 weeks

Minor depression (Cuijpers et al., [20])

One of the key symtoms plus at least one other symptom but the total number do not exceed 4.

DSM-III-R

2 weeks

Minor depression (De Graaf et al., [4])

2 to 4 symptoms including one key symptom

DSM-IV

2 weeks

Minor depression (Fils et al., [21])

Having reported dysphoric mood or anhedonia with significant life interference and at least 2 but no more than 4 depressive symptoms

DSM-IV

2 weeks

Minor depression (Jackson et al., 2007 [22])

Two to four depressive symptoms (at least one core symptom)

DSM-IV

2 weeks

Minor depressive disorder (Tamburrino et al., 2009 [23])

At least 2 (but less than 5) of the symptoms in Criterion A for a major depressive episode. At least one key symptom.

DSM-IV-TR

2 weeks

Subclinical depression (Gómez- Restrepo et al., [24])

Less symptoms and less severity than depression

ICD-10

-

Subthreshold depression (Baumeister and Morar, [25])

MD criteria fulfilled except for the clinical significance criteria

DSM-IV

2 weeks