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The Current Situation on Major Depressive Disorder in China: Research on Mechanisms and Clinical Practice

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Abstract

Depression is the most disabling disorder worldwide that accounts for the highest proportion of global burden attributable to mental disorders. Major depressive disorder (MDD) is characterized by deep sadness, reduced energy, vegetative nervous system dysregulation, cognitive dysfunction, and even a high suicidal tendency. Although other treatment choices are available, antidepressant medication is the front-line treatment option for MDD. Regarding clinical efficacy, only ~50% of patients respond to frontline antidepressants, and <33% obtain remission. Currently, objective indexes to guide clinical decisions are still lacking. Furthermore, knowledge about the neurobiological mechanisms underlying discrepant antidepressant outcomes is still also fragmentary. In the present review, we discuss the current research progress and clinical opinions on MDD in China.

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Acknowledgements

Research from the corresponding author’s laboratory was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81371488 and 81571330).

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  1. Department of Psychosomatics and Psychiatry, Institute of Psychosomatic Medicine, Zhongda Hospital, Medical School of Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, China

    Zhenghua Hou, Wenhao Jiang, Yingying Yin & Yonggui Yuan

  2. Department of Neurology, Institute of Neuropsychiatry, Zhongda Hospital, Medical School of Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, China

    Zhijun Zhang

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  1. Zhenghua Hou
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Correspondence to Yonggui Yuan.

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Hou, Z., Jiang, W., Yin, Y. et al. The Current Situation on Major Depressive Disorder in China: Research on Mechanisms and Clinical Practice. Neurosci. Bull. 32, 389–397 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12264-016-0037-6

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