After a health professional reaches a depression diagnosis, they may also specify the level of severity. Mild depression refers to formal symptoms of depression that may have a lesser effect on your day-to-day life compared to more severe cases.

Depression is formally known as major depressive disorder (MDD). It’s a mental health diagnosis that responds well to treatment, regardless of severity level. However, as severity increases, you may experience more challenges and impairment.

Most U.S. health professionals will use the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition, text revision (DSM-5-TR), to diagnose depression. This reference handbook establishes criteria for diagnosing most of the known mental health conditions.

A mental health professional may want to confirm the presence of at least five out of nine formal symptoms before providing a depression diagnosis. Once they do, they may establish severity as mild, moderate, or severe.

Mild depression implies that the symptoms you experience don’t significantly interfere with your usual activities, even if they’re distressing.

Because of this, you may not even realize you have depression, despite some of the changes in your mood or motivation levels. You may believe you’re “just tired” or “having a bad day.”

Or maybe you feel different, but others say you look and act as usual. Some people develop the ability to mask (hide) their depression symptoms, especially if they’re manageable, making it harder for other people to identify. This is often referred to as smiling depression.

But if your sense that something is different persists for 2 weeks or longer, and symptoms don’t seem to get better, it may be a good idea to consult with a medical professional.

A healthcare professional will aim to identify formal symptoms of depression first and then determine how severe these symptoms are.

They may reach a diagnosis of depression if at least five of the following nine symptoms have been present for most of the day, every day, for at least 2 consecutive weeks:

  1. low mood (sadness, hopelessness, emptiness)
  2. loss of interest in daily activities and difficulty enjoying things in general
  3. weight and appetite changes
  4. changes in sleep patterns (sleeping more or less than usual)
  5. changes in movement patterns (moving faster or slower than usual)
  6. low energy and fatigue
  7. feelings of worthlessness, guilt, and shame
  8. memory, attention, and decision making challenges
  9. persistent thoughts of self-harm and death, including thinking about or attempting suicide

Other symptoms of depression that may not be part of the formal criteria but could be present include:

  • irritability
  • anger
  • crying for no apparent reason
  • isolating from other people
  • feeling your “emotional bandwidth” is full
  • feeling like you’re “coming down with something”

A healthcare professional may determine the severity of your symptoms as mild if:

  • you don’t experience more than the minimum five symptoms required for the diagnosis, or if you experience only a few additional symptoms
  • these symptoms are distressing but relatively easily managed
  • you can work, study, or do your usual activities without major interference from your symptoms, even if things feel a bit harder than usual
  • you don’t experience significant social challenges associated with your symptoms

For example, you may feel less interested in activities you used to enjoy, but you still participate in them occasionally or when prompted. Or, you may have a hard time focusing on one task at work, but you may still get it done with a little more effort than usual.

Mild depression isn’t the same as minor depression, a term sometimes used to refer to someone who may experience fewer than five formal symptoms or experience more than five symptoms but for less than 2 weeks.

Mild depression and persistent depressive disorder (PDD)

PDD requires that the person experiences depressed mood most of the day for at least 2 years, together with two or more of these symptoms:

  • changes in appetite
  • changes in sleep patterns
  • fatigue and low energy
  • decreased self-esteem
  • challenged concentration or ability to make decisions
  • hopelessness

In many cases, the severity of these symptoms is mild, which may lead the person to believe they are part of their personality. Often, PDD is diagnosed after someone has had major depression for over 2 years.

Untreated depression, regardless of severity, frequently leads to more severe symptoms. Treatment for mild depression is available and effective and can provide relief for your symptoms.

Psychotherapy is the first line of treatment for mild depression, which may not respond to antidepressant use in some cases. Still, depending on a comprehensive assessment and individual needs, some cases of mild depression may be managed with medications.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is an effective resource for managing symptoms of depression. Its main goal is to help you reframe or shift thought patterns that may cause distress. As you modify some of your beliefs and thoughts, you can approach distressing situations in a different way, which could help boost your mood.

Therapy options for mild depression include:

Mild depression vs. sadness

Sadness is often a symptom of depression, but not the only one. In fact, someone may have depression without experiencing sadness.

The difference between sadness and depression is that depression implies there are other symptoms present.

Sadness may also improve with time or respond to a change in circumstances. Depression, on the other hand, often requires professional support to show improvement and lasts longer than 2 weeks.

In addition to professional support, symptoms of mild depression may respond well to:

Before engaging in lifestyle changes, consider consulting a healthcare professional for a customized treatment plan based on your needs.

Mild depression refers to having at least five of the nine formal depression symptoms but not experiencing significant distress or impairment from them. Symptoms of mild depression are often manageable and could be mistakenly attributed to stress or having a bad day.

Treatment is recommended even if your symptoms are mild. Untreated depression often leads to more intense symptoms and challenges.

Psychotherapy is often the first line of treatment for mild depression, but medications may be advised in some cases.