Depression

Depression (everyday general usage) commonly refers to a downturn in mood which may be relatively transitory and perhaps due to something trivial. The common usage of this term differs significantly from the medical term clinical depression, which is a mental disorder marked by symptoms that last two weeks or more and are so severe that they interfere with daily living.

In the field of psychiatry the term depression can also have the everyday general meaning but it refers more specifically to a mental disorder when it has reached a severity and duration to warrant a diagnosis. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) states that a depressed mood is often reported as being: "... depressed, sad, hopeless, discouraged, or 'down in the dumps'."Please insert your text here.