Depression is a mood disorder that leads to feelings of sadness and hopelessness, along with symptoms like social withdrawal, fatigue, and a loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed. These symptoms may disrupt your ability to perform everyday tasks and typically last for two weeks or more.
UPMC offers comprehensive behavioral health care for depression, including diagnosis and personalized treatment.
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What Is Depression?
Depression is a mood disorder that leads to feelings of sadness and hopelessness, along with other symptoms like social withdrawal, tiredness, and loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed. These symptoms may disrupt your ability to perform daily tasks and last for two weeks or longer.
What are the types of depression?
There are several types of depression, including:
- Bipolar disorder — Causes depression that alternates with mania, or periods of excessive energy, irritability, and difficulty focusing.
- Major depressive disorder (MDD) — Causes feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and loss of interest that last for two weeks or longer and affect your ability to engage in everyday activities.
- Melancholic depression — Severe depression that causes physical symptoms, such as weight loss, loss of appetite, insomnia, and agitation.
- Persistent depressive disorder (dysthymia) — A chronic form of depression that lasts for at least two years and causes milder symptoms.
- Postpartum depression — Depression that occurs after giving birth.
- Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) — Causes mood changes and other symptoms that appear one to two weeks before menstruation.
- Psychotic depression — A rare form of depression that causes hallucinations, delusions, or paranoia.
- Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) — Causes depression symptoms during certain times of year, such as fall or winter.
How common is depression?
According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), depression is one of the most common mental health disorders in the U.S. NIMH estimates that more than 8% of adults have an episode of MDD each year, and about 20% of teens have an episode of MDD each year.
What causes depression?
Researchers think depression is caused by a combination of factors, including:
- Behaviors learned by family members.
- Stressful or challenging life events.
- Your environment.
- Your genes.
What are depression triggers?
Depression can be triggered by:
- Alcohol or drug use.
- Chronic or serious medical conditions, such as cancer or long-term illness.
- Social isolation.
- Stressful life events, such as the death of a family member, divorce, or job loss.
Depression risk factors
Risk factors for depression include:
- Experiencing a stressful or traumatic life event.
- Having a family member with depression.
Complications of depression
Complications of depression may include:
- Inability to perform everyday activities, such as going to work, school, or caring for family members.
- Financial problems caused by the inability to work.
- Relationship problems.
- Self-harm or suicide.
- Social isolation.
How can I prevent depression?
You may not be able to prevent depression, but making healthy lifestyle changes may reduce your risk.
Lifestyle changes include:
- Eating a healthy diet.
- Getting regular exercise.
- Maintaining a regular sleep schedule.
- Managing stress.
What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Depression?
Symptoms of depression may include:
- Agitation or restlessness.
- Anger or irritability.
- Appetite changes, including eating too much or too little.
- Becoming isolated from family or friends.
- Crying for no reason.
- Difficulty concentrating.
- Fatigue.
- Feelings of sadness, hopelessness, worthlessness, guilt, or shame.
- Loss of interest in hobbies and activities you used to enjoy.
- Sleeping too much or too little.
- Thoughts of death, suicide, or self-harm.
When should I see a doctor about my depression symptoms?
If you think you may have symptoms of depression, contact a mental health professional or your primary care provider right away. Early diagnosis and treatment can help reduce your risk of complications and improve your overall well-being more quickly.
If you or a loved one is thinking about suicide, you can get help by:
- Dialing 911 or going to the nearest hospital Emergency Department.
- Calling or texting 988 or 988lifeline.org for confidential, free, 24/7 support.
- Calling 1-800-273-8255 (1-800-273-TALK).
How Do You Diagnose Depression?
To diagnose depression, your doctor will perform a physical exam, review your symptoms and medical history, and complete a mental health evaluation. Your doctor may also order medical tests to rule out physical health conditions that could be causing your symptoms.
What to expect during your visit
To diagnose depression, your doctor will:
- Ask you about your symptoms.
- Complete a mental health evaluation.
- Order tests to rule out physical health problems.
- Perform a physical exam.
- Review your medical history.
Tests to diagnose depression
Doctors and mental health professionals will perform a mental health evaluation to diagnose depression.
Your health care provider will ask you a series of questions about your symptoms, including your physical, mental, and social health. Be sure to answer the questions truthfully to get the most accurate diagnosis.
Depression prognosis
With treatment, most people experience improvement in their depression symptoms. Although symptoms of depression may go away over time for some people, depression symptoms may also come and go throughout your life or require lifelong treatment. Your doctor or mental health professional will monitor your condition and adjust your treatment plan based on your needs.
How Do You Treat Depression?
The goals of depression treatment are to reduce or eliminate symptoms, prevent complications, and improve your ability to engage in everyday activities.
Treatment options include:
Medications
Your doctor may recommend antidepressants or other medications to help manage your symptoms. You may have to try a few different medications or combinations of medications to find the treatment that works best for you.
Psychotherapy
Also known as talk therapy or counseling, psychotherapy involves working with a mental health professional to learn coping skills that help you manage thoughts, behaviors, experiences, relationships, and interactions that may be contributing to your depression.
Other depression treatments
Other treatment options for depression include:
- Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) — A procedure to deliver mild electric current to your brain while you are under anesthesia. ECT is only used for severe depression that has not responded to other treatments.
- Light therapy — Involves exposure to artificial light to improve symptoms of SAD.
- Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation — A procedure to deliver magnetic waves to your brain to relieve depression symptoms. It is not as intense as ECT, so general anesthesia is not required.
Why Choose UPMC for Depression Care?
When you choose UPMC for depression care, you will receive:
- Access to board-certified and licensed specialists — Our multidisciplinary team of experts provides leading-edge behavioral health care for people with depression.
- Expert diagnosis and personalized care — Our team will develop a customized treatment plan to reduce your depression symptoms and improve your quality of life.
- A full range of treatment options — We use the latest therapies and approaches to provide comprehensive care, including medication, psychotherapy, or a combination of treatments to enhance your well-being.
