The core features of depression are persistence of low mood, finding activities no longer enjoyable, and feeling lacking of energy that last for 2 weeks or more. Common symptoms also include unrefreshed sleep, waking up earlier than you used to, change in appetite and difficulty in maintaining focus at work. Negative thoughts about themselves like a strong sense of guilt, feeling useless, helpless and hopeless may become uncontrollable. In severe cases there could be suicidal ideas, plans or attempts. If there were previous episodes of depression or family members having depression, development into depression becomes more likely. Depression is a highly treatable mental condition.
Screen for depression
Take the PHQ-9* self-test
* PHQ-9 is a 9-item self-administered questionnaire for screening depression [Kroenke K, Spitzer RL, Williams JB. The PHQ-9: validity of a brief depression severity measure. J Gen Intern Med 2001;16(9):606-13.]
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