Do You Have Mild Depression?

Mild depression involves depressive symptoms that are considered low-grade. While many of the same symptoms of more severe depression are present, including irritability, sadness, and lack of motivation, they are often more subtle and less intense.

People with mild, low-grade depression may not even realize they are depressed. In fact, the chronic feelings of sadness and low mood they experience may have been around for so long that they feel normal.

This article discusses the symptoms of mild depression, the potential causes, and how it is diagnosed. It also explores treatment options that can help and thing you can do to cope.

Symptoms of Mild Depression

The term mild depression may refer to the severity of major depressive disorder, which can be described as being mild, moderate, or severe. It may also refer to chronic low-grade depression that is a symptom of persistent depressive disorder (PDD), formerly known as dysthymia or dysthymic disorder.

The signs and symptoms of PDD are very similar to major depressive disorder, except that they tend to be milder and are chronic in nature.

Symptoms of PDD include:

• Appetite or weight changes
• Fatigue
• Feelings of hopelessness, worthlessness, or guilt
• Lack of enjoyment or pleasure in things
• Low energy and reduced motivation
• Restlessness
• Sadness, tearfulness, frequent crying
• Sleep problems
• Thoughts of death or suicide
• Trouble concentrating, focusing, and making decisions

Causes of Mild Depression

As with major depressive disorder, persistent depressive disorder is also believed to be a multifactorial condition—meaning they are likely caused by a combination of genetic susceptibility, biochemical imbalance, life stress, and environmental circumstances.

In these cases, it becomes very difficult to say whether the depression would exist independently of the other condition. In addition, these comorbid conditions often create a vicious cycle wherein each illness makes the other more difficult to treat.

Around 75% of people with mild depression will also experience a more severe episode of major depressive disorder. When this happens, it is often referred to as "double depression."

Diagnosis of Mild Depression

Like other forms of depression, there isn't really a blood test or brain scan that can be used to make a diagnosis of dysthymic disorder. Instead, doctors must go by the signs they can observe and any symptoms patients report to them.

Doctors and mental health professionals can check to see if a patient's symptoms fit into a pattern laid out by the DSM-5, a guidebook for diagnosing mental disorders such as depression.

With persistent depressive disorder, doctors will need to determine if the individual's symptoms have been present for an extended period of time (a minimum of two years for adults and one year for children). In addition, they will consider whether the severity of the symptoms is less than what a patient might experience with a major depressive disorder.

Other factors a doctor will consider when making a diagnosis include a patient's medical history, as well as whether there is a history of depression in their family.

Treatment for Mild Depression

Persistent depressive disorder responds to many of the same treatments that are used to treat major depression. Mild depression may respond well to medication, psychotherapy, or a combination of the two.

Medications

Antidepressant medications may be prescribed to treat mild depression. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are a popular choice. These medications inhibit the reuptake of the neurotransmitter serotonin, which means more of it is available in the brain. This can play a role in improving mood.

Psychotherapy

In addition, psychotherapy, also known as talk therapy, can often be quite helpful for people with chronic mild depression. Types of talk therapy that can be effective for mild depression include:

• Cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT): Helps people identify and change the negative thought patterns that contribute to symptoms of depression
• Interpersonal therapy (IPT): Treats symptoms of depression by helping people improve the interpersonal relationships and social interactions that affect mental health
• Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT): An approach based on CBT that incorporates mindfulness practices to help people learn to tolerate distress, improve interpersonal effectiveness, and build emotional regulation skills

You'll have to work with your mental health care provider to develop a treatment plan that's most appropriate for you.

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Coping With Mild Depression

Several self-care treatments can help treat chronic mild depression. For example, lifestyle changes, such as getting enough sleep and regular physical activity, can be helpful. Here are a few suggestions to keep in mind:

• Aim for 30 minutes of moderately intense exercise most days of the week, and add vigorous exercise if possible. Research has shown that moderate aerobic exercise can effectively treat depression.
• Avoid alcohol and illegal drugs. These are unhealthy ways of coping with symptoms of depression, can make symptoms worse over time, and increase your risk of developing a substance use disorder.
• Be sure that you are taking your medications correctly. Tell your doctor about any supplements or herbal remedies you take. Some medications and supplements may interact with medications your doctor might prescribe to treat depression.
• Eat a varied and nutritious diet. One study found that depression symptoms decreased when people followed a Mediterranean-style diet for three weeks. This diet is high in fruits and vegetables and low in processed foods.
• Find things to do that you enjoy. Staying busy and engaging in rewarding activities can help lift your mood.
• Get enough sleep and ensure you have a restful sleeping environment. Research has found that people who have insomnia have twice the risk of developing depression compared to those who don't struggle with sleep. Taking steps to improve your sleep may help reduce symptoms of depression.
• Seek out people for positive, supportive friends who show that they care about you. Having supportive people in your life can also help buffer the adverse effects of stress.
  

A Word From Verywell

While mild depression is considered less intense than more severe depression, it can still have a serious impact on your life and ability to function. If you are experiencing symptoms of depression, even if they seem relatively low-grade, you should talk to your healthcare practitioner.

Treatments such as psychotherapy and medication can help you start to feel better. Mild depression often responds well to lifestyle modifications including regular exercise and social support.