Depression (mood)
| Depression | |
|---|---|
| Lithograph of a person diagnosed with melancholia and strong suicidal tendency in 1892 | |
| Specialty | Psychiatry, psychology |
| Symptoms | Low mood, aversion to activity, loss of interest, loss of feeling pleasure |
| Causes | Brain chemistry, genetics, life events, medical conditions, personality |
| Risk factors | Stigma of mental health disorder |
| Diagnostic method | Patient Health Questionnaire, Beck Depression Inventory |
| Differential diagnosis | Anxiety, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder |
| Prevention | Social connections, physical activity |
| Treatment | Psychotherapy, psychopharmacology |
| Part of a series on |
| Emotions |
|---|
Depression is a mental state of low mood and aversion to activity. It affects about 3.5% of the global population, or about 280 million people worldwide, as of 2020. Depression affects a person's thoughts, behavior, feelings, and sense of well-being. The pleasure or joy that a person gets from certain experiences is reduced, and the afflicted person often experiences a loss of motivation or interest in those activities. People with depression may experience sadness, feelings of dejection or hopelessness, difficulty in thinking and concentration, or a significant change in appetite or time spent sleeping; suicidal thoughts can also be experienced.
Depression can have multiple, sometimes overlapping, origins. Depression can be a symptom of some mood disorders, some of which are also commonly called depression, such as major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder and dysthymia. Additionally, depression can be a normal temporary reaction to life events, such as the loss of a loved one. Depression is also a symptom of some physical diseases and a side effect of some drugs and medical treatments.