Understanding depression: An overview

Abstract

Depression is a major mental health problem, cuts across sociocultural background of all genders and age groups worldwide. The prevalence of depression is rising in an alarming rate and predicted to become the second leading cause for disability worldwide. Multiple factors are found to influence the etiology, course and prognosis of depression and various models of depression have been explained. However, the heterogeneity of this disorder makes it too complicated to be understood by any single model or theory. The clinical features, course, treatment response, and outcome also are as diverse as its origin.

Keywords

• Depression
• depressive disorders
• overview