Everyone can feel sad or blue when bad things happen or when stress at home or work is overwhelming. However, when sadness persists, when things a person usually enjoys no longer seem interesting or when their energy levels are unusually low, they may be experiencing depression.
Clinical depression lasts for at least two weeks. It affects the person’s behaviour and interferes with the ability to work and to have satisfying relationships.
There is no single cause of depression. Medical conditions (such as the side effects of medication or following a heart attack, stroke or serious accident), distressing events (such as losing a loved one or your job) and psychological factors (such as pessimistic thinking) all contribute to depression.
Signs and symptoms of depression:
A person who is clinically depressed will have at least two of the following symptoms for at least two weeks for most of the time:
- An unusually sad mood that does not go away
- Loss of enjoyment and interest in activities that used to be enjoyable
- Lack of energy, tiredness
People who are depressed can also have other symptoms:
- Loss of confidence in themselves or poor self-esteem
- Feeling guilty when they are not really at fault
- Wishing they were dead
- Difficulty concentrating or making decisions
- Moving more slowly or becoming agitated and unable to settle
- Having difficulty in sleeping or sleeping too much
- Loss of interest in food or eating too much, leading to either weight loss or weight gain
Depression_ Youth.pdf
Depression_ Adult.pdf