All about depression
Depression is a medical condition during which people experience long periods (2 weeks or more) of an abnormally depressed mood with a loss of interest and decreased energy.
Symptoms of depression include emotional symptoms such as a loss of interest in normal activities, feeling sad, down, empty or feeling worthless. Physical symptoms of depression include feeling tired or run down.
People with depression may face stigma or find it difficult to talk about their mental illness. There are, however, specific things you can do if you are helping or caring for someone with depression.
Head to Health, an online gateway funded by the Australian Government that can help you find free and low-cost, trusted phone and online mental health resources, including information about depressive disorders. Or find out more below.
Depression
There’s more to depression than ‘the blues’. If you’re sad for weeks, lack energy or no longer enjoy things you used to, you could be depressed.
Bipolar disorder: what is it?
Bipolar disorder is a condition where people experience periods of depression and mania. Learn more about bipolar and how to seek treatment here.
How to deal with depression
Telling people you have depression and getting help is not easy, here's some ways to manage your illness. Find out more about dealing with depression.
Helping someone with depression
It's not easy to know how to help someone with depression. Learn to recognise the signs, how to talk to someone with depression and where to get help.
Melancholia
Melancholia is a type of depression, sometimes referred to as melancholic depression. Read more about the symptoms, diagnosis and treatment here.
Sadness
We all feel down sometimes, but if feelings of sadness or worry last more than 2 weeks, it may be a sign of depression or other mental condition.
Mental health app
Overcoming Anxiety and Depression is an app created to reduce feelings of anxiety and depression. Suitable for all ages. Learn more here.
Need more information?
These trusted information partners have more on this topic.
Top results
OnTrack Depression
OnTrack Depression aims to help people recover from depression and to stop depression from coming back.
Read more on OnTrack website
Postnatal Depression (Postpartum Depression) | myVMC
Postpartum depression refers to debilitating and disabling mood disturbance after childbirth. It affects 10-15% of mothers following birth.
Read more on myVMC – Virtual Medical Centre website
Treatment of antenatal depression - COPE
Depression during pregnancy affects up to one in ten women, and there is a range of treatment can be helpful for the treatment of antenatal depression.
Read more on COPE - Centre of Perinatal Excellence website
MindSpot Clinic | Brief Depression Quiz
Take the brief depression quiz - This quiz will help measure your symptoms of low mood or depression.
Read more on MindSpot Clinic website
Antenatal and postnatal depression - men's experiences
A few fathers experienced depression or anxiety during a partner’s pregnancy or in early parenthood. For some, prior experiences of depression or anxiety resurfaced during this period, though not all men with past experiences of depression went on to experience antenatal or postnatal depression.
Read more on Healthtalk Australia website
Depression during pregnancy and the postnatal period
Perinatal depression refers to depression that occurs during pregnancy or the postnatal period and affects 15–20 per cent of women in Australia.
Read more on Black Dog Institute website
Perinatal depression | Depression | ReachOut Australia
When someone has perinatal depression, they experience a range of symptoms. There are a range of things you can do to help manage your symptoms.
Read more on ReachOut.com website
Postnatal Depression Recovery Stories
Women share their experience with postnatal depression
Read more on Perinatal Anxiety and Depression Australia (PANDA) website
Postnatal depression - COPE
Postnatal depression is a common, but debilitating condition that affects one in seven women following the birth of their baby.
Read more on COPE - Centre of Perinatal Excellence website
Treatment for postnatal depression - COPE
Accessing effective effective treatment for postnatal depression early, is an important step towards recovery.
Read more on COPE - Centre of Perinatal Excellence website
Top results
OnTrack Depression
OnTrack Depression aims to help people recover from depression and to stop depression from coming back.
Read more on OnTrack website
Symptoms of perinatal depression - COPE
The symptoms of perinatal depression are reflected in the EPDS, which is used as a component of assessment for depressive symptoms.
Read more on COPE - Centre of Perinatal Excellence website
Management of perinatal depression- COPE
In the management of perinatal depression, a total score of 13 or more is considered a flag for the need for follow up of possible depressive symptoms.
Read more on COPE - Centre of Perinatal Excellence website
Depression during pregnancy and the postnatal period
Perinatal depression refers to depression that occurs during pregnancy or the postnatal period and affects 15–20 per cent of women in Australia.
Read more on Black Dog Institute website
Antidepressant prevention of postnatal depression | Cochrane
Postnatal depression is a common and important disorder with negative implications for the mother, the infant and the wider family. Women who are not depressed, but at high risk of postnatal depression, such as those with a previous history of a postpartum mood disorder, may wish to consider antidepressant prevention during pregnancy or early postpartum. This review addresses the effectiveness of such treatment. Only two small trials met the criteria for inclusion. Both trials used medication immediately postpartum. The drugs were nortriptyline, a tricylic antidepressant (TCA) and sertraline, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). Both drugs were compared only to placebo. Nortripyline was not shown to have any benefit over placebo; there was some evidence that sertraline was effective both in reducing the incidence of recurrent postpartum depression and in increasing the time to recurrence. However, both trials involved only very small numbers of women and did not use intention to treat analyses. There is, therefore, no clear evidence for the use of these antidepressants in the prevention of postnatal depression.
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
Assessing women for perinatal depression - COPE
Assessing women for perinatal depression involves considering psychosocial factors and identifying possible symptoms using the EPDS.
Read more on COPE - Centre of Perinatal Excellence website
Antidepressants for postnatal depression | Cochrane
Postnatal depression is a common disorder that can have short- and long-term adverse effects on the mother, the new infant and the family as a whole. Antidepressants are commonly used as the first treatment option for adults with moderate to severe depression, but there is little evidence on whether antidepressants are an effective and safe choice for the treatment of this disorder in the postnatal period. This review was undertaken to evaluate the effectiveness of different antidepressants and to compare their effectiveness with other forms of treatment (e.g. psychosocial interventions such as peer support, psychological interventions such as cognitive behavioural therapy), placebo or treatment as usual.
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
What Australians know about perinatal depression and anxiety
In late 2009, beyondblue: the national depression initiative conducted a national survey to investigate how the Australian community perceives perinatal (ante- and postnatal) depression and anxiety disorders. The purpose of the research is twofold.
Read more on beyondblue website
Dietary supplements for preventing postnatal depression | Cochrane
Postnatal depression is a common condition that affects women and may impact on their babies. Common symptoms of postnatal depression include fluctuations in mood, mood changes, suicidal ideation and preoccupation with infant well-being ranging from over-concern to frank delusions. There is currently not much evidence regarding interventions that might prevent or treat postnatal depression. A diet lacking in certain vitamins, minerals or other nutrients may cause postnatal depression in some women. Correcting this deficiency with dietary supplements might therefore prevent postnatal depression. Examples of possible dietary supplements aimed at preventing postnatal depression include omega-3 fatty acids, iron, folate, s-adenosyl-L-methionine, vitamin B12 (cobalamin), B6 (pyridoxine), B2 (riboflavin), vitamin D and calcium.
Read more on Cochrane (Australasian Centre) website
Depression
Depression is a mood state that is characterised by significantly lowered mood and a loss of interest or pleasure in activities that are normally enjoyable. Such depressed mood is a common and normal experience in the population. However, a major depressive episode can be distinguished from this `normal’ depression by its severity, persistence, duration, and the presence of characteristic symptoms (e.g., sleep disturbances).
Read more on CRUfAD – Clinical Research Unit for Anxiety and Depression website
