Advancing the development of diagnostic criteria for clinical depression by scientific strategies

ObjectiveTo note limitations to diagnostic criteria for the depressive disorders in the principal diagnostic psychiatric manuals (DSM-5 and ICD-11) and then detail how the key clinical depressive disorders might be defined by a scientific approach.ConclusionsSuch an approach should allow empirical resolution as to whether clinical depression is best modelled dimensionally or according to a sub-typing model. Presuming that the latter model is supported, such an approach would provide specific defining criteria for psychotic and melancholic sub-types - in addition to generating criteria for a residual and heterogeneous non-melancholic sub-type - and with a more definitive boundary between clinical and normative depression defined.