Depression: Types and Symptoms
What is depression?
Everyone feels sad or low sometimes, but these feelings usually pass with a little time. Depression (also called major depressive disorder or clinical depression) is different. It can cause severe symptoms that affect how you feel, think, and handle daily activities, such as sleeping, eating, or working. It is an illness that can affect anyone—regardless of age, race, income, culture, or education. Research suggests that genetic, biological, environmental, and psychological factors play a role in depression.
Depression may occur with other mental disorders and illnesses, such as diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and chronic pain. Depression can make these conditions worse, and vice versa. Sometimes medications taken for these illnesses cause side effects that contribute to depression symptoms.
What are the different types of depression?
Two common forms of depression are
- Major depression, which includes symptoms of depression most of the time for at least two weeks that typically interfere with one's ability to work, sleep, study, and eat
- Persistent depressive disorder (dysthymia), which often includes less severe symptoms of depression that last much longer, typically for at least two years
Other forms of depression include
- Perinatal depression, which occurs when a woman experiences major depression during pregnancy or after delivery (postpartum depression)
- Seasonal affective disorder, which comes and goes with the seasons, typically starting in late fall and early winter and going away during spring and summer
- Depression with symptoms of psychosis, which is a severe form of depression where a person experiences psychosis symptoms, such as delusions (disturbing, false, fixed beliefs) or hallucinations (hearing or seeing things that others do not see or hear)
Individuals diagnosed with bipolar disorder (formerly called manic depression or manic-depressive illness) also experience depression.
What are the signs and symptoms of depression?
Common symptoms of depression include
- Persistent sad, anxious, or "empty" mood
- Feelings of hopelessness or pessimism
- Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, or helplessness
- Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies or activities
- Decreased energy, fatigue, or being "slowed down"
- Difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions
- Difficulty sleeping, early-morning awakening, or oversleeping
- Changes in appetite or unplanned weight changes
- Aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems without a clear physical cause or that do not ease even with treatment
- Suicide attempts or thoughts of death or suicide
If you or someone you know is in immediate distress or is thinking about hurting themselves, call the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (formerly National Suicide Prevention Lifeline) toll-free at 988 (the former number 800-273-TALK [800-273-8255] also still works), or visit Link opens in a new windowhttps://988lifeline.org. You also can text the Crisis Text Line (HELLO to 741741), visit Link opens in a new windowhttps://www.crisistextline.org, or use the 988 Lifeline Chat at Link opens in a new windowhttps://988lifeline.org/chat.
U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). (Revised 2021). Depression (NIH Pub. No. 21-MH-8079). Retrieved July 18, 2023, from https://www.nimh.nih.gov