Residual symptoms and relapse: mood, cognitive symptoms, and sleep disturbances.

Abstract

Remission is the standard of care in major depressive disorder (MDD). However, even in patients who respond to treatment and achieve remission, residual symptoms significantly inhibit functionality and increase the risk of relapse and recurrence. The most common residual symptoms are fatigue, sleep problems, and cognitive dysfunction. Clinicians should be cognizant of these potential residual symptoms and the unique ways in which they present in patients with MDD. Treating these symptoms as target symptoms from baseline increases the patient's chances of an asymptomatic remission. Making use of clinically practical screening instruments and monitoring these target symptoms throughout the course of treatment can improve patients' functional recovery.