What+is+depression?

Depression is one of the most common of all mental health problems and effects one in five people at some stage of their lives. There are many types of depression that affect people,** Bipolar affects about 1-5% of the population.
 * Depression is more than just a low mood it is a mental illness - it's a serious illness that can affect anyone, anywhere, or any time. Everybody feels down sometimes, or maybe even mildly depressed, however some people experience these feelings intensely, for an extended period of time. People with depression find it hard to function every day and may not be being there normal selves, for example not participating in social outings etc.
 * Melancholic depression is a more severe depression than non-melancholic depression and is primarily caused by biological factors. It is an uncommon type of depression, affecting only around 1-2% of the population and roughly the same number of males and females.**
 * Bipolar disorder is another type of depression. A person who sufers from bipolar is likely to experience extreme highs and extreme lows, and anything can trigger these moods off. The up and down moods can affect feelings, emotional health and physical health, behaviour and day to day functioning.

Psychotic depression** is a severe form of depression and is less common than either melancholic or non-melancholic depression. The defining symptoms are: more severely depressed mood than other types of depression hallucinations (e.g. hearing voices) delusions (e.g. extreme or false beliefs of guilt, shame, poverty or illness). More severe psychomotor disturbances Psychotic depression does not usually go away on its own. It responds only to physical treatments (such as antidepressant drugs). Depression and wanting to end your life For some people, a symptom of depression may include the feeling of wanting to end their life. If you are feeling suicidal, it's important that you keep yourself safe and that there is always help available.



**Return to Mental Health**