What is Depression?

Depression (major depressive disorder) is a frequent and alarming mental disorder that negatively impacts how you feel, act, think, and observe the world.

Almost 3 in 10 adults (30%) have been diagnosed with depression at some point in their lives and around 18% are presently encountering depression, as reported by a 2023 national survey. Women are more probably than men and younger adults are more probable than older adults to encounter this disorder. Whereas depression can happen any time and any age, on average it can initially appear throughout someone’s late teens to mid-twenties.

Symptoms of Depression

Symptoms can vary from mild to unrelenting and can appear in a different way by each individual. These symptoms can comprise of:

• Feelings of sadness, irritability, emptiness and/or hopelessness.
• Losing pleasure or interest in activities you’ve once enjoyed.
• A considerable change in appetite (eating a lot less or more than typical) and/or weight (notable loss or gain unassociated to dieting).
• Not sleeping enough or sleeping too much.
• Reduced energy or increased weariness or exhaustion
• Increase in meaningless physical activity (for instance inability to stay still, roaming, hand squeezing) or slowed speech or actions that are severe enough to be noticeable by others.
• Feelings of worthlessness or overly guilt.
• Difficulty concentrating or thinking, forgetfulness, and/or challenges making minor choices.
• Thoughts of death, suicidal conception, or suicidal behaviors.

It is typical to experience instances of sadness or feeling “down in the dumps” or the blues as part of human life. Nevertheless, a diagnosis of depression requires that the preceding symptoms happen for most of the day, almost every day, for more than 2 weeks, along with an obvious change in daily functioning (for instance in work/school implementation, individual relationships, and activities). Thankfully, there are treatments for this type of disorder.

Risk Factors for This Disorder

Depression can impact anyone—even those who appear to have it all. Many factors can play a part in depression:

• Biochemical: Variations in certain chemicals in the brain (like the neurotransmitters serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine) could add to symptoms of depression.
• Genetic: Depression can run in families. For instance, when one identical twin has depression, the other has a 70% chance of having the disorder sometime in their life.
• Personality: Those with low self-esteem, that are easily overtaken by stress, or those that are typically negative might be more possible to experience depression.
• Environmental: Continual subjection to violence, despair, abuse or deprivation can also create risks for developing depression.

What Are the Treatments for Depression?

This is one of the more treatable mental disorders. Between 70-90% of those with depression at the end of the day respond well to treatments.

For diagnosing depression, a healthcare professional is going to carry out a comprehensive diagnostic assessment that includes a thorough interview to go over your symptoms as well as your personal, medical and family histories.

Additionally, a physical exam should be performed to check for underlying medical conditions that may imitate depression — like hormonal and/or vitamin imbalances, neurological issues and alcohol and/or drug use. Imaging and lab tests may also be included in the assessment as part of the medical check-up. The assessing medical professional is going to take all these factors into consideration as they devise a diagnosis and suggest a personalized treatment plan.

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