The nine types most clinicians recognise
These categories follow the DSM-5 (the diagnostic manual U.S. clinicians use) and clinical convention. A clinician will help you place your specific experience.
- Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) — two or more weeks of depressed mood, anhedonia, sleep and appetite changes, low energy, and impaired functioning.
- Persistent Depressive Disorder (dysthymia) — chronic, lower-intensity depressed mood lasting two or more years.
- Bipolar Depression — depressive episodes that are part of bipolar I or II; treated differently than unipolar depression because antidepressants alone can destabilise mood.
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) — depression that arrives in fall/winter and lifts in spring; responds well to light therapy.
- Postpartum Depression — depression that emerges in the weeks or months after childbirth.
- Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) — severe, cyclical mood changes tied to the luteal phase.
- Situational Depression (Adjustment Disorder with depressed mood) — a clinically significant depressive reaction to a specific stressor.
- Atypical Depression — depression with mood reactivity, increased sleep, increased appetite, and rejection sensitivity.
- Depression with Psychotic Features — depression accompanied by hallucinations or delusions; needs urgent psychiatric care.
What treatment looks like
Most types of depression respond well to psychotherapy (especially CBT or IPT), medication, or both. SAD responds to bright-light therapy. Bipolar depression needs a mood stabiliser as the foundation. Psychotic depression needs combined antidepressant + antipsychotic care.