About Major Depression, Dysthymia, Bipolar Disorder

NIMH

Depression

Overview of Depression
Depression Screening Test
Diagnosis and Treatment
Suicide and Depression
Getting Help
People and Depression
Depression and Other Illness
Info for Employers

Bipolar Disorder

Overview of Bipolar
Bipolar Screening Test
Suicide and Bipolar
In Children and Adolescents
Bipolar and Other Illnesses

Medications and Mental Disorders

Overview
Antidepressant Medications
Antimanic Medications
In Women, Children, Elderly
Index of Psychiatric Medications

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Depression

This site gives descriptions of major depression, dysthymia, and bipolar disorder (manic depression). It lists symptoms of depression, gives possible causes, tells how depression is diagnosed, and discusses available depression treatments. The site also provides help and hope for the depressed person, family, and friends. (If you are looking for information on bipolar disorder, manic depression, please go here.)

In any given 1-year period, 9.5 percent of the population, or about 18.8 million American adults, suffer from a depressive illness. The economic cost for this disorder is high, but the cost in human suffering cannot be estimated. Depressive illnesses often interfere with normal functioning and cause pain and suffering not only to those who have a disorder, but also to those who care about them. Serious depression can destroy family life as well as the life of the ill person. But much of this suffering is unnecessary.

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Most people with a depressive illness do not seek treatment, although the great majority - even those whose depression is extremely severe - can be helped. Thanks to years of fruitful research, there are now depression medications and psychosocial therapies such as cognitive/behavioral, "talk," or interpersonal that ease the pain of depression.

Unfortunately, many people do not recognize that depression is a treatable illness. If you feel that you or someone you care about is one of the many undiagnosed depressed people in this country, the information presented here may help you take the steps that may save your own or someone else's life.

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Last updated: September 2002

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