Social stigma and prejudice are our enemies. Every human being is taught from childhood that suicidal people are shameful, sinful, weak, selfish, manipulative-taught that we are contagious, that we want to harm others.

Depression, subcortical dementia and normal aging: all three may have similar neurobehavioral manifestations. So how does a clinician make a differential diagnosis?

Speaking at the recent U.S. Psychiatric & Mental…

Kids and teenagers who suffer from Depression may not be receiving care in accordance with published guidelines, finds a new study in this month’s Archives of General Psychiatry.

Studies show depressive disorders occur in…

For too many American women, the birth of a baby is less the arrival of a bundle of joy than a passage to depression.

Childbirth is an emotionally intense event; mood changes…

Definition

A disorder characterized by stages of mild mood changes with stages of mild depression and excitement (hypomania).
Causes, incidence, and risk factors

Seasonal affective disorder is a form of depression thought to be triggered by a decrease in exposure to sunlight. Besides depressed mood and general symptoms of depression, symptoms may include:

A person with bipolar disorder, or manic depression, has mood swings that soar to mania, or unusual elation, and then plummet to depression. During the depressive phase, the symptoms are the same as those of…

Definition
Obsessive-compulsive disorder is an anxiety disorder characterized by obsessions or compulsions having one or both is sufficient for the diagnosis. An obsession is a recurrent and intrusive thought, feeling, idea, or sensation. A…

Experts estimate that 2% of children and between 4% and 8% of teenagers suffer from depression. The highest incidence occurs in girls after puberty.

In the elderly, depression may be accompanied by a…

Definition

Unpredictable attacks of anxiety that are accompanied by physiological manifestations (see also generalized anxiety disorder).

Chronic depression, called dysthymia, often begins in childhood or adolescence and may last for many years in adulthood if not treated. People with dysthymia:

Symptoms of depression can vary widely - and they don’t always involve the sadness or weepiness that people commonly associate with it. Many people will experience intellectual or psychological changes that…

Treatment options for adolescents with depression are similar to those for depressed adults, and include psychotherapy and antidepressant medications (see major depression for a review of treatments and self-care).

Family therapy may be helpful…

 
• depressed or irritable mood  
• temper, agitation  
• loss of interest in activities, apathy  
• reduced pleasure in daily activities  
• inability to enjoy activities which used…

Depression is an illness that involves feelings of sadness lasting for two weeks or longer, often accompanied by a loss of interest in life, hopelessness, and decreased energy. Such distressing feelings can affect one’s…

Depression afflicts approximately 17 million Americans, from children to the elderly, in all walks of life. It reportedly afflicts twice as many women as men (although some observers speculate that this could be because…

The use of antidepressants, especially drugs like Zoloft and Prozac, may increase the risk of abnormal bleeding, Dutch researchers report.

Although the reason for this association is unclear, it may…

A commonly used antidepressant appears to help kids with social anxiety disorder, which causes them to become extremely distressed by ordinary social situations, new research shows.

The investigators found that kids…

Is depression common in women?
Yes. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, more than 19 million people in the United States - 1 in 10 adults - experience depression each year.…

What is depression?
When doctors talk about depression, they mean the medical illness called major depression. Someone with major depression has symptoms like those listed in the box…

How to Get Help
Sometimes when people feel sad, they say they are “depressed.” But depression is more than just feeling sad. It is a medical illness. Someone with “major” depression has…