Which of the following is NOT a differential diagnosis to consider for a client with depressed mood according to DSM-5-TR criteria?

• A. Bereavement
• B. Generalized anxiety disorder
• C. Persistent depressive disorder
• D. Substance/medication-induced mood disorder

Answer: (B)

When evaluating someone with depressed mood, the focus is on conditions where depression is a central feature or is directly caused by another condition. Bereavement, persistent depressive disorder, and substance/medication-induced mood disorder all fit that lens because they involve a primary mood disturbance or a mood disturbance triggered by a clear circumstance or substance. Generalized anxiety disorder, on the other hand, is an anxiety disorder whose core symptoms are excessive worry and physical symptoms, not a primary depressed mood. Depression can occur with GAD, but GAD itself is not a mood disorder and its defining feature is anxiety, not depressed mood. So, Generalized anxiety disorder is not a differential diagnosis for depressed mood.