Depression

What is Depression?

Depression is a serious medical illness; it’s not something that you have made up in your head. It’s more than just feeling "down in the dumps" or "blue" for a few days. It’s feeling "down" and "low" and "hopeless" for weeks at a time. More about Depression »

Watch this 4-minute video to learn about signs, symptoms and research on depression.

Suggested usage for the NIMH Depression Video

Major Depression – Public Health Quandary: Significant Gap Exists in Depression Treatment: Dr. Hector Gonzalez, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI.
Nearly half of all Americans diagnosed with major depression don’t receive the treatment they need according to an NIMH-supported survey. Dr. Hector Gonzalez of Wayne State University is the lead author of this study. In this podcast, Dr. Gonzalez talks about surprises that emerged from the data and how one group of Americans may help shed light on how to increase the overall level of care.

Diabetes and Depression: Managing Co-Existing Serious Illnesses: Dr. Elizabeth Lin, Group Health Research Institute, Seattle WA.
People who have both diabetes and depression are at higher risk for major health complications. That’s the finding of an NIMH-funded study conducted by researchers at the University of Washington and the Group Health Research Institute in Seattle. In this podcast, Dr. Elizabeth Lin of the Group Health Research Institute says an important take-away from this study is managing one’s health even with the challenge of co-existing conditions.

Eric Nestler on deltaFosB Research’s Implications for Depression Treatment

Dr. Eric Nestler of the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine explains deltaFosB research and what it could mean for depression treatment

Read transcript.

Signs & Symptoms

• Persistent sad, anxious, or "empty" mood
• Feelings of hopelessness, pessimism
• Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness
• Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities that were once enjoyed More about Signs & Symptoms »

Treatment

A variety of treatments including medications and short-term psychotherapies have proven effective for depression. More about Treatment »

• Treatment choices for resistant depression – STAR*D trial
• Treatment for Adolescents with Depression Study (TADS)
• Treatment of SSRI-resistant Depression in Adolescents (TORDIA) study

Getting Help: Locate Services

Locate mental health services in your area, affordable healthcare, NIMH clinical trials, and listings of professionals and organizations. More about Locating Services »

Related Information

• Researchers Work to Explain Depression and Related Diseases
• Information on coping with traumatic events
• Occurrence in:
  • Children and adolescents
  • Older adults
  • Women
  • Men
  • Information about medications
  • Information from the National Institute on Aging
• Depression Information and Organizations from NLM's MedlinePlus (en Español)
• Some mental illnesses also carry an increased risk for suicide.
• Watch a NIH i-to-eye vodcast interview about depression
• Watch this video on depression and older adults featuring NIMH's Dr. George Niederehe