Depression | Overview

What is depression?

When doctors talk about depression, they mean the medical illness called major depression. Someone who has major depression has symptoms like those listed in the Symptoms section nearly every day, all day, for 2 weeks or longer. There is also a minor form of depression that causes less severe symptoms. Both kinds of depression have the same causes and treatment.

Depression causes a person to feel sad, angry or hopeless, have low self-esteem, or lose interest in things they used to enjoy. Depression can affect people of all ages and is different for every person. A person who has depression can’t control his or her feelings. If your child or teen is depressed, it’s not his or her fault.

If you're depressed, in addition to emotional symptoms you may also have physical symptoms, like fatigue, problems with too much or too little sleep, increased or decreased appetite, headaches, other aches and pains, digestive problems and problems with sex. An older person who has depression may feel confused or have trouble understanding simple requests.

Is depression more common in women than in men?

Yes. Women are twice as likely as men to experience depression. The reason for this is unknown, but changes in a woman's hormone levels may be related to depression.