Depression

• Depression is more than feeling down.

• Symptoms usually last for two weeks or longer
• Can be mild to severe.
• If a colleague’s attendance in the office is sporadic
or withdraws socially, it may be time to be
concerned.
• Typically symptoms occur all day.
 Depression: Symptoms
• Feeling depressed or sad
• Loss of interest in activities
• Irritable or angry
• Loss or increase of appetite
• Weight loss or weight gain
• Insomnia or sleeping a lot
• Exhaustion or loss of energy
• Difficulty concentrating
• Trouble making decisions
• Hopelessness about the future
• Thoughts of suicide
 Depression: Facts
• There is no single cause of depression.
– Genetic
– Biochemical
– Environmental
– Psychological factors.

• Some types of depression tend to run in families, suggesting

a genetic link. However, depression can occur in people
without a family history of depression as well.

• Research indicates that depressive illnesses are disorders of

the brain. Brain imaging technologies have shown that brains
of people with depression look different than those of people
without depression.
National Institute of Mental Health
 Coping with Depression:
What You Can do
For yourself
• Let someone know you are
struggling.
• Stay active, attend classes,
and remain social.
• Exercise.
• Be aware that depression
influences thinking, so your
thinking may not be accurate.
• Try to set realistic goals for
yourself.
• Reduce your stress.
• Take extra special care of
yourself.
• Seek the help of a counselor
or medical practitioner
For a friend
• Offer emotional support,
understanding, patience, and
encouragement.
• Engage your friend in conversation and
listen carefully.
• Never disparage feelings your friend
expresses, but point out realities and
offer hope.
• Never ignore comments about suicide,
and report them to your friend’s
therapist, doctor, or another
authority figure.
• Invite your friend out for walks,
outings, and other activities. Keep
trying if he/she declines but don’t
push him/her too soon.
• Remind your friend that with time and
treatment, the depression will lift.
National Institute of Mental Health
Depression: Statistics
• Major Depressive Disorder is the
leading cause of disability in the U.S.
for ages 18-44.
• Four times as many men as women die by
suicide
• Major Depressive Disorder affects
approximately 14.8 million adults, or
about 6.7% of the U.S. population age 18
and older in a given year.
National Institute of Mental Health