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Residual Symptoms in Depression: Prevalence and Impact
Abstract
Article Abstract Residual symptoms are experienced by most patients being treated for depression, including those who have achieved remission. These symptoms prevent individuals from fully recovering and feeling truly "well." Often, symptoms that are related to deficits in positive affect (such as anhedonia, pessimism, and lack of motivation) persist after the other symptoms of depression (such as irritability, distress, and low mood) have resolved. Clinicians must assess patients for residual symptoms using rating scales (eg, the Patient Health Questionnaire, Clinical Positive Affect Scale) and adjust treatment to improve patients†sense of well-being and normalcy. From the Department of Psychiatry and the Depression Clinical Research Program, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston. This CME activity is expired. For more CME activities, visit cme.psychiatrist.com. Find more articles on this and other psychiatry and CNS topics: The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry The Primary Care Companion for CNS Disorders
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“Anhedonia is also a common residual symptom in patients with MDD [29].”
From Emotional blunting in patients with depression. Part I: clinical characteristics (2022) · cites this paper as [29]
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Metadata
- Authors
- Nierenberg, A. A.
- Affiliations
- Harvard University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Nierenberg, Andrew A.
- Venue
- The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry
- Publisher
- Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc
- Published
- 2015-11-25
- Volume
- 76
- Issue
- 11
- Pages
- e1480-e1480
- ISSN
- 0160-6689 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2190250750
- Cited by
- 66
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 8 · 2025: 18 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 2
- FWCI
- 1.68
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology (medical) › Treatment of Major Depression
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Mental Health Treatment and Access
- Keywords
- residual symptoms, depression, remission, anhedonia, pessimism, lack of motivation, positive affect, Patient Health Questionnaire, treatment modification, well-being
- MeSH terms
- Affect, Major Depressive Disorder, Depressive Disorder, Major, Humans, Remission Induction, Prevalence, Apathy, Anhedonia
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