Depression can narrow the world. Good information can reopen it.
Evidence-led guidance on symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and recovery—with plain language, practical next steps and no miracle claims.
Find the guide that matches your question
Types and experiences
Depressive disorders, common symptoms, life stages and diagnostic boundaries.
TreatTherapy and medication
What evidence-based options involve, how they are monitored and questions to ask.
ChooseFind appropriate care
Credentials, treatment fit, intensity, safety procedures and continuity.
Depression guides
Depression: Symptoms, Types and Treatment
Depression is more than a temporary low mood. It can change interest, energy, sleep, appetite, concentration, self-worth and the ability to function, and it deserves an assessment that considers severity, safety and possible bipolar symptoms.
DepressionUnipolar Depression
Unipolar depression usually refers to major depressive disorder without a history of mania or hypomania. Screening for past elevated or unusually irritable mood matters because bipolar depression requires a different treatment plan.
DepressionPersistent Depressive Disorder
Persistent depressive disorder describes a long-lasting depressed mood with additional symptoms and functional effects. Chronicity can make the condition feel like personality, but careful assessment and treatment can still help.
DepressionPsychotic Depression
Psychotic depression combines a severe depressive episode with delusions or hallucinations. It requires prompt specialist assessment because risk, diagnosis and treatment differ from non-psychotic depression.
DepressionSeasonal Affective Disorder
Seasonal affective disorder is a recurrent depression pattern linked to a particular season, most often autumn or winter. A clinician should confirm the pattern and rule out bipolar disorder and medical contributors.
DepressionAtypical Depression
Atypical depression is a symptom pattern that can include mood reactivity, increased sleep or appetite, leaden feelings and sensitivity to rejection. The label does not mean symptoms are unusual or less serious.
DepressionMelancholic Depression
Melancholic features can include profound loss of pleasure, lack of mood reactivity, early waking, marked slowing or agitation, appetite loss and excessive guilt. Severity and safety need close attention.
DepressionHigh-Functioning Depression
“High-functioning depression” is not a formal diagnosis. It describes people who continue meeting visible responsibilities while experiencing significant symptoms, distress or exhaustion that still merit care.
DepressionSomatic Symptoms of Depression
Depression can be experienced through pain, fatigue, sleep disturbance, appetite change and other physical symptoms. Medical causes should be evaluated rather than assuming every bodily symptom is psychological.
DepressionMixed Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms
Anxiety and depressive symptoms commonly overlap. Assessment should establish which patterns are present, how they affect functioning and whether another condition, medication or substance contributes.
DepressionLow Mood After a Major Event
A short emotional dip after an anticipated event can reflect fatigue, disrupted routine or loss of stimulation. Persistent, severe or unsafe symptoms should be assessed as possible depression rather than dismissed as a trend label.
DepressionPostcoital Dysphoria
Postcoital dysphoria refers to sadness, irritability or distress after consensual sex. It is not automatically depression; relationship, trauma, physical-health and broader mood factors may need sensitive assessment.