ABSTRACT
Depression is a very common condition, and, worldwide, one of the foremost causes of suffering and disability. Depression may range in severity from a temporary state of low morale which anyone is likely to experience in the face of commonplace setbacks, to a tormenting condition of melancholic hopelessness which may result in suicide. In major depressive disorder low mood is likely to be accompanied by insomnia, loss of appetite and consequent loss of weight, and other physiological manifestations. In bipolar disorder the sufferer swings between episodes of elevated mood and depression, although even when ‘high’ there are often traces of depression. Depression precursors are as much to do with the subtleties of parent-child relationships as with major trauma. The depression-prone feel themselves to be powerless to affect the course of events, and therefore ‘give up’ and adopt a passive role.
