Can a change in the name of depression result in its reduced negativity?

摘要

The National Institute of Mental Health Epidemiologic Catchment Area (ECA) study, an extensive community survey, reported that the 6-month prevalence rates for mood disorders were 6% (the lifetime rate was 8.3%) while only 31% of depressed adults sought treatment. The reluctance of patients for treatment of depression can be attributed to some extent to the negativity associated with it at social level. This negativity can be partially assigned to the negative word 'Depression' used for this disorder. We therefore propose a change in the name of depression that can help reduce its negativity. A hypothesis explaining the different moods experienced by a normal person and assigning different name to depression has been proposed in the paper.