Introduction to Major Depressive Disorder and Standard Treatments

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a serious clinical condition and a core topic in psychology entrance exams. Before exploring how exercise impacts depression, you must understand the baseline treatments currently used in clinical psychology.

This lesson breaks down the clinical definition of MDD and introduces the two primary standard treatments: selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Grasping these foundational concepts allows you to critically evaluate alternative therapies and understand standard clinical care.