Depression (mood) facts for kids

Depression is a state of low mood and not wanting to do anything. It can change what a person thinks, does, feels, and sense of well-being. It may lead to being sad, make it harder to think and a large change in appetite and time spent sleeping. People who have depression may feel no hope. The main symptom of depression is said to be anhedonia, which means losing of interest in things that usually make people happy. Depressed mood is a symptom of some mood disorders such as major depressive disorder or dysthymia; it is a normal reaction to life events, such as losing a loved one; and it is also caused by some physical diseases and a side effect of some drugs and medical treatments.

History

The term depression was derived from the Latin verb deprimere, "to press down". From the 14th century, "to depress" meant to subjugate or to bring down in spirits. It was used in 1665 in English author Richard Baker's Chronicle to refer to someone having "a great depression of spirit", and by English author Samuel Johnson in a similar sense in 1753.

In Ancient Greece, disease was thought due to an imbalance in the four basic bodily fluids, or humors. Personality types were similarly thought to be determined by the dominant humor in a particular person. Derived from the Ancient Greek melas, "black", and kholé, "bile", melancholia was described as a distinct disease with particular mental and physical symptoms by Hippocrates in his Aphorisms, where he characterized all "fears and despondencies, if they last a long time" as being symptomatic of the ailment.

During the 18th century, the humoral theory of melancholia was increasingly being challenged by mechanical and electrical explanations; references to dark and gloomy states gave way to ideas of slowed circulation and depleted energy. German physician Johann Christian Heinroth, however, argued melancholia was a disturbance of the soul due to moral conflict within the patient.

Management

Depressed mood may not require professional treatment, and may be a normal temporary reaction to life events. A prolonged depressed mood, especially in combination with other symptoms, may lead to a diagnosis of a psychiatric or medical condition which may benefit from treatment.

Physical activity has a protective effect against the emergence of depression in some people.

There is evidence suggesting yoga may help some people with depressive disorders or elevated levels of depression.

Reminiscence of old and fond memories is another alternative form of treatment, especially for the elderly who have lived longer and have more experiences in life. It is a method that causes a person to recollect memories of their own life. By maintaining one's personal past and identity, it is a technique that stimulates people to view their lives in a more objective and balanced way, causing them to pay attention to positive information in their life stories, which would successfully reduce depressive mood levels.

Images for kids

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  Allegory on melancholy, from circa 1729–40, etching and engraving, dimensions of the sheet: 42 × 25.7 cm, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York City)

See also

In Spanish: Depresión para niños