[Pathogenesis, classification, diagnostic criteria for depression].

There is the concern that adaptation range of depression is enlarged, because operation diagnosis methods of ICD-10 and DSM-IV-TR spread in a clinic of psychiatry. On the other hand, clinical condition of depressive state may diversify. This is a review of the pathogenesis, classification and diagnostic criteria of depression. In the pathogenesis, we discussed about the biological origin (a neurotransmitter-related model, a neuroendocrine model et al) and the psychosocial origin with focus on a historic flow and recent knowledge of the pathogenetic theory. In the classification and diagnostic criteria, we mainly explained the points to notice and the problems on ICD-10 and DSM-IV-TR. It is necessity to arise the problem such as clinical symptoms are inconsistent with the classification and diagnostic criteria of ICD-10 and DSM-IV-TR, because all the pathogenesis is not elucidated now. A development of the classification and criteria of depression is expected in future by scientific elucidation advancing.