<qa>  What is the A or B criterion for a major depressive episode?- Syndromic recovery: Eight contiguous weeks 50 during which the patient no longer meets criteria for a manic, mixed, or depressive syndrome. Recovery from each of these syndromes is based on DSM-IV criteria and is operationalised as follows: manic syndrome-no longer meeting the A or B criterion for a manic episode; depressive syndrome-no longer meeting the A criterion for a major depressive episode; mixed syndrome-no longer meeting the A or B criterion for a manic episode and the A criterion for a major depressive episode. 