Depression

Also called: Clinical depression, Dysthymic disorder, Major depressive disorder, Unipolar depression

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Summary

Depression is a serious medical illness. It's more than just a feeling of being sad or "blue" for a few days. If you are one of the more than 19 million teens and adults in the United States who have depression, the feelings do not go away. They persist and interfere with your everyday life. Symptoms can include:

Feeling sad or "empty"
Loss of interest in favorite activities
Overeating, or not wanting to eat at all
Not being able to sleep, or sleeping too much
Feeling very tired
Feeling hopeless, irritable, anxious, or guilty
Aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems
Thoughts of death or suicide

Depression is a disorder of the brain. There are a variety of causes, including genetic, biological, environmental, and psychological factors. Depression can happen at any age, but it often begins in teens and young adults. It is much more common in women. Women can also get postpartum depression after the birth of a baby. Some people get seasonal affective disorder in the winter. Depression is one part of bipolar disorder.

There are effective treatments for depression, including antidepressants, talk therapy, or both.

NIH: National Institute of Mental Health

Start Here

Depression (National Institute of Mental Health)
Depression (Major Depressive Disorder) (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
Help with Depression (American Psychiatric Association)

Diagnosis and Tests

Depression Screening (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish

Treatments and Therapies

8 Things To Know about Depression and Complementary Health Approaches (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
Antidepressants: MedlinePlus Health Topic (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
Brain Stimulation Therapies (National Institute of Mental Health)
Depression Treatment (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Psychedelic and Dissociative Drugs as Medicines (National Institute on Drug Abuse) Also in Spanish
Psychotherapies (National Institute of Mental Health)
St. John's Wort and Depression (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
Therapy and Counseling (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
When Sadness Lingers: Understanding and Treating Depression (National Institutes of Health) Also in Spanish

Living With

Depression and Anxiety: Exercise Eases Symptoms (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
Depression: Supporting a Family Member or Friend (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
Metabolic Side Effects of Psychiatric Medications (American Association of Psychiatric Pharmacists) - PDF
What to Know Before Stopping Medications (American Association of Psychiatric Pharmacists) - PDF

Related Issues

Depression in Black Americans (Mental Health America)
The Link Between Migraine, Depression and Anxiety (American Migraine Foundation)
Understanding the Link Between Chronic Disease and Depression (National Institute of Mental Health) Also in Spanish

Specifics

Depression (National Cancer Institute) Also in Spanish
Depression and Alzheimer's Disease (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
Depression and Caregiving (Family Caregiver Alliance) Also in Spanish
Depression in the Workplace (Mental Health America)
Managing Your Mental Health with Lupus (Lupus Foundation of America)
Persistent Depressive Disorder (PDD) (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
Treatment-Resistant Depression (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
What Does the Term "Clinical Depression" Mean? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish

Genetics

Depression: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)

Health Check Tools

Depression Screening: Questionnaire (Department of Veterans Affairs)

Test Your Knowledge

Depression Myths & Facts Quiz (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Test Your Knowledge about Depression Treatment (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

Statistics and Research

Depression in Older Adults: More Facts (Mental Health America)
Major Depression among Adults (National Institute of Mental Health)

Clinical Trials

ClinicalTrials.gov: Depression (National Institutes of Health)
ClinicalTrials.gov: Dysthymic Disorder (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

Find an Expert

American Psychiatric Association
Find Your Local NAMI (NAMI)
FindTreatment.gov (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) Also in Spanish
Help for Mental Illnesses (National Institute of Mental Health) Also in Spanish
National Institute of Mental Health Also in Spanish
Psychologist Locator (American Psychological Association)

Children

Depression in Children and Teens (American Academy of Family Physicians)
Taking Your Child to a Therapist (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
What to Do When You Feel Sad (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Teenagers

Teen Depression: MedlinePlus Health Topic (National Library of Medicine)

Men

Male Depression: Understanding the Issues (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish

Women

Depression (Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health) Also in Spanish
Depression and Pregnancy (Organization of Teratology Information Specialists) - PDF Also in Spanish
Depression in Women: 4 Things to Know (National Institute of Mental Health) Also in Spanish
Depression in Women: Understanding the Gender Gap (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish

Older Adults

Depression and Aging (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Depression and Older Adults (National Institute on Aging) Also in Spanish
Easing Depression in Older Adult (National Institutes of Health) Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

Depression (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Depression - stopping your medicines (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Depression in older adults (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Dysthymia (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Heart disease and depression (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Learning about depression (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Major depression (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Major depression with psychotic features (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

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MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA

National Institutes of Health

The primary NIH organization for research on Depression is the National Institute of Mental Health

Other Languages

Find health information in languages other than English on Depression

Disclaimers

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