文档介绍：women and depression
National Institute of Mental Health
discovering hope
. Department of Health & Human Services
National Institutes of Health
NIH Publication No. 08-4779
Revised 2008
Contents
What is depression? 2
What are the different forms of depression? 3
What are the basic symptoms of depression? 4
What causes depression in women? 5
What illnesses often coexist with
depression in women? 8
How does depression affect adolescent girls? 9
How does depression affect older women? 10
How is depression diagnosed and treated? 11
What efforts are underway to
improve treatment? 21
How can I help a friend or relative
who is depressed? 22
How can I help myself if I am depressed? 23
Where can I go for help? 24
What if I or someone I know is in crisis? 25
Citations 26
For more information 28
What is depression?
Everyone occasionally feels blue or sad, but these feelings
are usually fleeting and pass within a couple of days. When
a woman has a depressive disorder, it interferes with daily
life and normal functioning, and causes pain for both the
woman with the disorder and those who care about her.
Depression is mon but serious illness, and most who
have it need treatment to get better.
Depression affects both men and women, but more women
than men are likely to be diagnosed with depression in any
given Efforts to explain this difference are ongoing, as
researchers explore certain factors (biological, social, etc.)
that are unique to women.
Many women with a depressive illness never seek treat-
ment. But the vast majority, even those with the most
severe depression, can get better with treatment.
Depression affects both men and women...
...but more women than men are likely to be
diagnosed with depression in any given year.
2 National Institute of Mental Health
What are the different forms of depression? Bipolar disorder,
also called manic-
There are several forms of depressiv