Dr Manju Antil (Counselling Psychologist and Psychotherapist)

Depression, in psychology, is a mood or emotional state that is marked by feelings of low self-worth or guilt and a reduced ability to enjoy life. A person who is depressed usually experiences several of the following symptoms: feelings of sadness, hopelessness, or pessimism; lowered self-esteem and heightened self-depreciation; a decrease or loss of ability to take pleasure in ordinary activities; reduced energy and vitality; slowness of thought or action; loss of appetite and disturbed sleep or insomnia.

Depression differs from simple grief or mourning, which are appropriate emotional responses to the loss of loved persons or objects. Where there are clear grounds for a person’s unhappiness, depression is considered to be present if the depressed mood is disproportionately long or severe vis-à-vis the precipitating event. The distinctions between the duration of depression, the circumstances under which it arises, and certain other characteristics underlie the classification of depression into different types. Examples of different types of depression include bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder (clinical depression), persistent depressive disorder, and seasonal affective disorder.

Depression is one of the common mental health issues prevailing among people of different age groups worldwide and it can adversely be affecting the feeling about self, the way we think, act and our whole perspective about life. It also causes various emotional and physiological disturbances and can seriously impair the ability of the individual to perform different tasks. Any traumatic experience, physical or psychological loss may cause depression. It may be loss of a job, death of a loved one, loss of possession or any serious injury. Depression leads to feelings of loneliness, sadness, loss of interest in activities of day to day life. It is a serious illness caused by changes in brain chemistry. The problems caused by depression are made worse by the fact that most people suffering from the disease are never diagnosed. Other factors like genetic characteristics, changes in hormone levels, certain medical illnesses, stress, grief, or substance abuse may also contribute to the onset of depression.

According to the Global Burden Disease (GBD, 2013) Report, depression is one of the leading causes for poor mental health. As per the National Mental Health Survey (NMHS, 2016), depression and anxiety are common mental health disorders which are effecting nearly two-fifth (37.1 per cent) of the surveyed population and thereby significantly contributing to a rise in the health burden. It is mentioned that one in twenty individuals in India suffers from depression. Pattanayak and Sagar (2014) suggested that depression adversely affects mental health, emotional well-being, increases the vulnerability to other mental illnesses and decreases overall quality of life.

Depression is one of the serious problems in academic settings. It may be due to rising pressure to perform well, the expectation of family as well as self, time shortage and uncertainty of future and constantly increasing responsibilities. Depression in college students may be more prevalent than in the general population (Daughtry & Kunkel, 1993). Dixon and Reid (2000) reported that college students are twice as likely to have clinical depression as compared to people of similar ages and backgrounds in the workforce. According to Fine and Carlson (1994) the common symptoms of depression in university students are difficulty in concentrating, lack of interest, motivation and poor attendance. These symptoms attempt to justify why a depressed student does not achieve academic excellence.