Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Exam 2025 – Complete Practice Resource

The term that accurately describes experiencing a significant decline in mood or interest for two weeks or longer is a major depressive episode. This condition is characterized by a set of specific symptoms that severely impact an individual’s ability to function. These symptoms include persistent feelings of sadness, loss of interest in activities once enjoyed, changes in appetite or weight, sleep disturbances, fatigue, feelings of worthlessness or excessive guilt, difficulty concentrating, and in some cases, thoughts of death or suicide.

To qualify as a major depressive episode, these symptoms must be present for at least two weeks and represent a change from previous functioning. The duration and severity of the symptoms help distinguish this episode from other mood disorders or conditions that may involve mood fluctuations.

In contrast, persistent depressive disorder is characterized by a chronic form of depression lasting for at least two years, though it may not always present with the same severity or acute nature as a major depressive episode. A manic episode reflects a different side of mood disorders, involving periods of abnormally elevated mood and activity. Seasonal affective disorder refers to a subtype of depression that occurs at certain times of the year, typically winter, but does not solely define the two-week duration of depressed mood required for a major depressive episode.

Thus, the definition