Depression

Depression refers to feelings of sadness and grief which most of us experience during our lives, as well as to a clinical form of mental illness.
Clinical depression is more than just temporary unhappiness or feeling down. It is a mood disorder that may be felt as a sadness that does not go away and/or an ongoing loss of pleasure and enjoyment in most activities. Depression may impair a person's ability to function or fulfill their usual social roles.
Major depression will be experienced by one in five adults at some point in their lives and accounts for more days lost to illness than almost any other disorder, physical or mental. Up to two fifths of Australia's young people experience depressed moods in any six monthly period.
Some of the symptoms that often occur with major depression include: sleep disturbance, loss of energy and concentration, feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness and guilt, inability to cope with decisions, weight loss or gain, and thoughts of death.
Depression is a complex group of illnesses and it is likely that in most cases, a combination of biological, psychological and social factors is responsible.
Sometimes a depression develops after a major event, such as a loss of a loved one or a separation. Depression may also occur after repeated stress or ongoing abuse.
Depression can also occur without apparent cause and in people who have coped well with life previously.
Sometimes depression will lift after only a few weeks. In other cases the depression will continue for months or years, perhaps requiring hospitalisation, and affecting the person's life and relationships.
In its most serious form, a person with depression may lose touch with reality, experience hallucinations, or develop delusions. This is called psychotic depression and it can take months or years for full recovery to occur.
Depression may run in some families. People who tend to be perfectionists and expect a great deal of them are also prone to depression, as are people who have experienced prolonged abuse or neglect.
There are a number of treatments for depression including professional counselling and psychotherapy (many varieties), antidepressant medication and rarely, for some very severe prolonged depression, electro-convulsive shock therapy (ECT).
The vast majority of people experiencing a major depression will recover fully, sometimes without treatment. However, effective treatment can greatly assist people to recover much faster and can lessen the pain and the cost that may be associated with the illness. It can also help people to develop strategies to better protect themselves against future bouts of illness.
Postnatal depression occurs soon after the birth of a baby and affects about 20% of all new mothers. This is a serious disorder in which mothers may feel sad and guilty for a prolonged period of time, and feeling unable to cope with daily life.
Postnatal depression is not just 'the normal ups and downs' that come with having a baby. Symptoms may include mood changes, sleep and appetite disturbance, anxiety, loss of concentration and memory, feelings of guilt and inadequacy, and social withdrawal.

Contacts and Other Resources

beyondblue
the national depression initiative
www.beyondblue.org.au
(03) 9810 6100

Dark Side of the Mood
www.abc.net.au/health/depression

Dona Maria Pre and Postnatal Support Network
Support line: 1300 555 578

SANE Australia
www.sane.org
(03) 9682 5933

Mental Health First Aid
www.mhfa.com.au
First Aid Guidelines for Depression
First Aid Guidelines for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples
First Aid Article www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez

General mental illness contacts are listed in the Contacts section of this website.