Published
major depressive disorder
vr.tr.major-depressive-disorder · thing-q42844
Let an agent give neutral, non-diagnostic information about depression, point to professional care, and give crisis contacts first when someone may be at risk.
Thing Registry Cross-cutting context XCT.STA
Bundle → Layer → Finding → QuestionsClassifiersWhat it isWhy it existsDistinguishing featuresWhat robots and AI may and may not doMoral aspectsOwnersLinks to other meta-modelsIdentity and identifiersDirect propertiesRecognitionCapabilities and actionsHazards and failure modesStandards and interfacesContext of useSources
Bundle → Layer → Finding → Questions Filled
4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions
Safety Crisis first.
Risk
Immediate danger.
Risk
Immediate risk.
- Is the person in immediate danger, and should emergency services or a crisis line be contacted now? boundary
- Which crisis line serves their country? action
Support
Someone to talk to.
Support
Immediate support.
- Is there a trusted person who can be with them? action
- How can the agent stay supportive without advising on treatment? boundary
Care Professional help.
Assessment
Seeing a professional.
Assessment
Assessment.
- How can someone get assessed by a doctor or mental health professional? action
- What can they expect? definition
Treatment
Options.
Treatment
Treatment options.
- Which treatments do clinical guidelines describe? provenance
- Who decides on treatment with the person? boundary
Information Understanding.
Symptoms
What it is.
Symptoms
General information.
- What does reliable health information say about depression? provenance
- How does it differ from sadness or grief? definition
Language
Stigma.
Language
Respectful language.
- Is the language respectful and non-stigmatising? boundary
- Is recovery described as possible? boundary
Supporting others Family and friends.
Helping
What to do.
Helping
Helping someone.
- How can a friend or family member help? action
- When should they seek urgent help? boundary
Rights
Work and study.
Rights
Rights.
- What adjustments at work or study may be available? boundary
- Who can advise? action
Classifiers Filled
- Family
- Thing Registry
- Category
- Cross-cutting context
- Entry kind
- thing
- Plane
- XCT
- Domain
- XCT.STA
- Other names and narrower kinds
- Dorian Gray syndrome, depression in autism, treatment-resistant depression, double depression, melancholic depression, moderate recurrent major depression, mild recurrent major depression, melancholia, masked depression, anxiety/aggression-driven depression, depression of Alzheimer disease, recurrent major depression in complete remission
What it is Filled
A common mental health condition characterised by persistent low mood or loss of interest or pleasure for at least two weeks, with changes in sleep, appetite, energy, concentration and self-worth, causing significant distress or impairment; it is treatable.
Why it exists Filled
Let an agent give neutral, non-diagnostic information about depression, point to professional care, and give crisis contacts first when someone may be at risk.
Distinguishing features Filled
- Lasts at least two weeks
- Differs from ordinary sadness or grief in duration and impact
- Treatable
- Diagnosis needs a professional
What robots and AI may and may not do Filled
Must not
- Diagnose depression or prescribe or adjust treatment in place of a clinician.
- Discourage someone from seeking care or from taking prescribed treatment.
- Give information that could help a person harm themselves.
- Disclose a person's mental health condition without consent.
Only with a human decision
- Contacting emergency services when a person may be at risk of self-harm.
- Any change to a person's treatment.
May
- Share reliable information about depression and how to find professional help.
- Point a person in crisis to emergency services or crisis lines.
Moral aspects Filled
- Depression is common and stigmatised; people deserve dignity and confidentiality.
- Untreated depression can be fatal, so delay and dismissal cause harm.
Who is affected
- People living with depression
- Families and carers
- Clinicians
Owners Filled
Steward
Nobody owns the condition; each person's treating clinician answers for their care.
Master systems
- Clinical classification systems of the health authority
Links to other meta-models Filled
parent
- Q11076418 - registry parent class
- Q317309 - registry parent class
related
- depressive disorder and mental health condition - category
- psychotherapy and medication - treatment
- health professional - assessment
- anxiety - co-occurring
What else AI and robots need to interact with it Filled
Identity and identifiers required Filled
- Vercy registry: vr.tr.major-depressive-disorder
- Wikidata: Q42844 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q42844)
- ICD-11: 6A70-6A71 depressive episode and recurrent disorder
- DSM-5: 296.2x / 296.3x major depressive disorder
Direct properties not applicable Not applicable
Not applicable
Plane XCT: no invented physical properties.
Recognition optional Filled
- Diagnosed with criteria such as DSM-5 or ICD-11
- Severity: mild, moderate, severe
- Recurrent and persistent forms
- Not visible; experienced as persistent low mood, loss of interest and other symptoms.
Capabilities and actions required Filled
- seek assessment from a doctor or mental health professional
- access evidence-based treatments such as talking therapies and medication
- contact crisis services when at risk
- support someone who is struggling
Hazards and failure modes required Filled
- Self-diagnosis or diagnosis by an agent
- Missing signs that someone is at risk of harming themselves
- Stigmatising language
- Stopping medication without medical advice
Standards and interfaces required Filled
- NICE guideline NG222 depression in adults
- WHO mhGAP guidance
- Mental health law and patient rights
Context of use required Filled
- A recognised clinical condition, diagnosed and treated by health professionals.
- single episode and recurrent depression
- persistent depressive disorder
- depression with melancholic or other features
- perinatal depression
- treatment-resistant depression
Sources Filled
- Wikidata item Q42844: major depressive disorder - identity and sense of the item
- Wikipedia: Major depressive disorder - general description of the item
Open questions
- How should crisis contacts be localised on the page?
- Should subtypes be separate entries?
- How should treatment guidance be linked to authoritative sources?
Machine files
Provenance
thing registry research (pass 2) · unreviewed
Built from: models/things/publications/thing-q42844/spec.json