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Noun: major depressive episode
  1. (psychiatry) a state of depression with all the classic symptoms (anhedonia and lethargy and sleep disturbance and despondency and morbid thoughts and feelings of worthlessness and sometimes attempted suicide) but with no known organic dysfunction
    "During her major depressive episode, she struggled with daily tasks and had thoughts of self-harm"

Derived forms: major depressive episodes

Type of: clinical depression, depression, depressive disorder

Encyclopedia: Major depressive episode