Depression

On this page

Basics

• Summary
• Start Here
• Diagnosis and Tests
• Treatments and Therapies

Learn More

• Living With
• Related Issues
• Specifics
• Genetics

See, Play and Learn

• Health Check Tools
• Test Your Knowledge

Research

• Statistics and Research
• Clinical Trials

Resources

• Find an Expert

For You

• Children
• Teenagers
• Men
• Women
• Older Adults
• Patient Handouts

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)

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