Research Article
Understanding High-Functioning Depression: A Narrative Review of Diagnostic Challenges, Nosological Frameworks, and Clinical Implications
Author(s):
Promise U Okereke*, Chukwuemeka V. Umeh, Egide Ndayambaje, Yusuf Popoola, Obinna Ikegwuonu, Chiemezie V. Aroh, Oladayo D. Akinwale, Mohamed Terra, Adaigwe C. Nwaigwe, Onyekachi M. Agbo, Evans P. Edomwonyi, Emovon A. Osasuyi, Stella N. Okereke and Wisdom O. Okereke
Background: High-Functioning Depression (HFD) refers to individuals who experience clinically significant depressive symptoms while maintaining outward functional competence in occupational, academic, and social domains. Despite growing recognition in clinical discourse, HFD remains absent from formal diagnostic systems such as the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5 (DSM-5) and International Classification of Diseases-11 (ICD-11), contributing to diagnostic ambiguity and therapeutic neglect.
Methods: A narrative review was conducted using PubMed, Science Direct, Google Scholar, the Cochrane Library, DOAJ, WHO reports, and African Journals Online (AJOL), incorporating literature published between 1st January 2010 and 31st December 2025. Search terms were supplemented with ICD-10, ICD-11, and standardized diagnostic tool t.. Read More»
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