ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the nature of depression as experienced by the individual. It identifies various theoretical explanations of the aetiology of depression. The chapter explains recovery-based approaches to helping a person who experiences depression. The nurse, at least when working in an inpatient setting, in contrast to many mental health professionals, is the person who spends time with the person who suffers from depression rather than seeing the person on an organized sessional basis. The chapter focuses on the craft of nursing people who experience depression. One of the problems for nurses in being with people suffering from depression is that the person often feels guilt, shame, hopelessness and worthlessness; the person may not be someone with whom it is stimulating to spend time. Compared with the person who is demonstrating manic behaviour or may be hearing voices, the person experiencing depression may even be boring and difficult to engage.
