About

All of us have experienced bouts of gloom and low mood at some point in our lives. We tend to become cranky, irritable and get tired easily even without doing any major physical activity, but these feelings of dullness and low mood disappear within 1- 2 days and then we slowly come out of it and get back to leading a normal life. But when low mood persists for more than the normal period there is a cause for concern. We may have to look for signs of clinical depression.

Clinical Depression is a serious medical condition that affects majority of people at some point in their lives It can affect anyone regardless of age, sex, culture or social status. It affects one’s ability to think and react, relationships, sleep patterns, general interest in life, work and usual activities and just generally the ability to function at a normal level. It is more than the occasional “blues” that last a couple of days. Rather, if left untreated, depression can continue to adversely affect the quality of life of both the individual and those close to the person for months or even years.

Depression is treatable, however, the earlier that it is diagnosed and treatment started, the better the prognosis can be. Women are at a higher risk than men for clinical Depression due to the hormonal changes which take place during their puberty, menstruation, pregnancy or even during their menopause.

Reference:

Kaplan and Sadock's Synopsis of Psychiatry, American Psychiatric Association third edition.

Published on Nov 11, 2013
Last Updated on Aug 01, 2014

Latest Publications and Research on Clinical Depression

[The diagnostic value of tremor analysis for defining the Parkinson's disease subtype]. - Published by PubMed
Toward Actionable Practice Parameters for "Dual Diagnosis": Principles of Assessment and Management for Co-Occurring Psychiatric and Intellectual/Developmental Disability. - Published by PubMed
The influence of negative and affective symptoms on anhedonia self-report in schizophrenia. - Published by PubMed
Comparison of health-related quality of life across treatment groups in individuals with multiple sclerosis. - Published by PubMed
Bidirectional association between alopecia areata and major depressive disorder among probands and unaffected siblings: A nationwide population-based study. - Published by PubMed

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Pallavi Arun. (2014, August 01). Clinical Depression - Causes Symptoms Diagnosis Treatment FAQ. Medindia. Retrieved on May 28, 2022 from https://www.medindia.net/patients/patientinfo/clinical-depression.htm.
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Pallavi Arun. "Clinical Depression - Causes Symptoms Diagnosis Treatment FAQ". Medindia. May 28, 2022. <https://www.medindia.net/patients/patientinfo/clinical-depression.htm>.
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Pallavi Arun. "Clinical Depression - Causes Symptoms Diagnosis Treatment FAQ". Medindia. https://www.medindia.net/patients/patientinfo/clinical-depression.htm. (accessed May 28, 2022).
Harvard
Pallavi Arun. 2021. Clinical Depression - Causes Symptoms Diagnosis Treatment FAQ. Medindia, viewed May 28, 2022, https://www.medindia.net/patients/patientinfo/clinical-depression.htm.