Psychology TopicsDepression
Depression is more than just sadness. People with depression may experience a lack of interest and pleasure in daily activities, significant weight loss or gain, insomnia or excessive sleeping, lack of energy, inability to concentrate, feelings of worthlessness or excessive guilt and recurrent thoughts of death or suicide.
Depression is the most common mental disorder. Fortunately, depression is treatable. A combination of therapy and antidepressant medication can help ensure recovery.
Adapted from the Encyclopedia of Psychology
What You Can Do
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Seek the right kind of social support
Social isolation increases the risk of depression. But it turns out that spending too much time discussing problems with friends could actually increase depression as well.
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Exercise Helps Keep Your Psyche Fit
Exercise is an effective, cost-effective treatment for depression and may help in the treatment of other mental disorders.
Getting Help
- Find a Psychologist
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Depression and How Psychotherapy and Other Treatments Can Help People Recover
Depression is a real illness and carries with it a high cost in terms of relationship problems, family suffering and lost work productivity. Yet, depression is a highly treatable illness, with psychotherapy, coping and cognitive-behavioral techniques, and medication.
News
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Too much Facebook leads to depression
March 2, 2015, CNN
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Depression isn't always what you think
February 17, 2015, Forbes
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College freshmen's mental health hits new low
February 6, 2015, CBS News
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Maternal depression often starts before giving birth
February 2, 2015, The New York Times
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Binge-watching TV helps some people beat the blues
January 29, 2015, Today
Monitor on Psychology Articles
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Five major psychiatric disorders share genetic links
May 2013
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More older adults with depression referred to medication — not psychotherapy — for treatment
January 2013
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Psychotherapy works!
November 2012
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Maternal depression stunts childhood growth, research suggests
December 2011
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Treating postpartum depression
February 2011