Conceptualization and Rationale for Consensus Definitions of Terms in Major Depressive Disorder

TLDR

In 1988, a MacArthur Foundation task force examined how change points in depression were described and how inconsistent terminology might hinder research. The authors propose an internally consistent, empirically defined conceptual scheme and tentative operational criteria for remission, recovery, relapse, and recurrence in major depressive disorder. They outline a conceptual framework and suggest evaluating its operational criteria by reanalyzing existing data and designing new experiments. They found considerable inconsistency in definitions of change points in depression and concluded that greater consistency would benefit research.

Abstract

• In 1988, the MacArthur Foundation Research Network on the Psychobiology of Depression convened a task force to examine the ways in which change points in the course of depressive illness had been described and the extent to which inconsistency in these descriptions might be impeding research on this disorder. We found considerable inconsistency across and even within research reports and concluded that research on depressive illness would be well served by greater consistency in the definition change points in the course of illness. We propose an internally consistent, empirically defined conceptual scheme for the terms remission,<i>recovery</i>,<i>relapse</i>, and<i>recurrence</i>. In addition, we propose tentative operational criteria for each term. Finally, we discuss ways to assess the usefulness of such operational criteria through reanalysis of existing data and the design and conduct of new experiments.