Table of Contents

Other Specified Depressive Disorders

Primer

Other Specified Depressive Disorders is a category of DSM-5 diagnoses that applies to individuals who have symptoms characteristic of a depressive disorder (e.g. - major depressive disorder), but do not meet the full criteria for any of them. “Other Specified” diagnoses are not limited to these disorders and are used throughout the DSM-5 to capture presentations where individuals have significant clinical impairment but do not meet standard criteria.[1]

DSM-5 Diagnostic Criteria

Recurrent brief depression

Short-duration depressive episode (4-13 days)

Depressive episode with insufficient symptoms

1) American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA.