Depression mainly affects the emotional sphere and symptoms include: sadness, hopelessness, irritability or mood disorder, loss of appetite, anxiety, sleeplessness, psychosomatic alterations, behavior alterations, loss of pleasure, suicidal thoughts, among others.  This can negatively affect a person’s work-related performance altering his/her social, family, and sexual life.

Both external and internal factors are responsible for depression and these include: stress, economic problems, job loss, sentimental deception, witnessing or experiencing an accident, murder or tragedy, bad news, grief, or undergoing a near death experience.

Causes of depression also include inadequate grieving due to the death of a loved one, or the use of certain substances (alcohol or toxic substance abuse), as well as genetic and environmental predisposition factors.

Types of depression:

·         Major depression: All symptoms are present for at least 6 months.

·         Atypical depression:  This type of depression occurs in one third of all patients with depression.  Symptoms include over-eating and over-sleeping.  Patients tend to feel oppressed and react strongly to interpersonal rejection.

·         Disthymia: A chronic long-lasting form of depression with less severe symptoms than those of major depression.

Other common forms of depression include:

·         Postpartum depression: The new mother feels rejection towards her child and her role as a mother.  However, true postpartum depression is rare.

·         Premenstrual dysphoric disorder: Depressive symptoms occurring one week before menstruation and disappearing after menstruation.

·         Season affective disorder: Brought on by seasonal changes.

·         Manic depressive disorder: Also known as bipolar disorder and characterized by extreme mood swings between euphoric happiness (mania) and extreme sadness (depression).

According to Sarita Álvarez Cordero, psychologist at Clinica Biblica Hospital, “most of her patients consult for depression, grieving (loss of a loved one), relationship problems, psychosomatic disorders, and school inadaptability.” 

Effective treatments for depression include antidepressants and psychotherapy.  Most people benefit from a combination of both.