Mental Health Clinic

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Depression has been used to describe a state of unhappiness, feelings of sadness, and as a despairing mood. It is common for everyone to experience feelings of sadness or having, what is normally referred to as, the “blues.” Having a depressed mood is a normal reaction following a disappointment or a loss or following a traumatic event that is short term, and one’s mood lifts fairly quickly. However, depression is also used to describe a psychiatric illness and is, therefore, much more severe than simply unhappiness. Clinical depression is a “major mood disorder” where a person’s emotional state is abnormally low or sad and where it impairs one’s level of everyday functioning (i.e., family, occupational, personal, and social functioning).

Depression can occur at any time in a person’s life. Depression is one of the most common mental health problems. It is estimated that up to 15% of the population will be treated with depression at some point in their lifetime. Major Depression can occur in 10 - 25% of women and 5 - 12% of men. Studies show that approximately 15% of those over 65 experience symptoms of depression that cause them distress and make it hard for them to function.

The chief symptom of depression is sad, despairing mood that persists beyond 2 weeks and impairs a person’s level of functioning where it becomes difficult to cope with day-to-day activities.

Symptoms of Depression include:

• Significant changes in appetite and weight over a short period of time



• Sleep problems; sleeping too little or too much



• Loss of interest in work, hobbies, people



• Feelings of uselessness, hopelessness, excessive guilt



• Preoccupation with failure(s) or inadequacies



• Agitation or loss of energy
  
  
• Slowed thinking, forgetfulness, trouble
  concentrating and making decisions



• Decreased sexual drive



• Tendency to cry easily, or having the urge to cry but unable to do so



• Excessive concern about physical complaints



• Thoughts of death and/or harming self



• At times, a loss of touch with reality, perhaps hearing voices (hallucinations) or having strange ideas (delusions)

Canadian Mental Health Association, Ontario Division Toll-free: 1.800.875.6213 Centre for Addiction and Mental Health 416.535.8501 Mood Disorders Association of Ontario 416.486.8046 or 1.888.486.8236 National Foundation for Depressive Illness 1.800.239.1265 or ifred.org.