Clinical depression is a state of sadness, melancholia or despair that has resulted in devastating consequences for the individual in terms of its functioning in society and in carrying out his daily activities.
Although a bad mood or depressed, which affects the individual, often referred to as depression, clinical depression is a medical diagnosis and is different from the commonly used phrase "being depressed".
It occurs in approximately 25% women and 10% of men sometime during their life. It is estimated that worldwide 340 million people suffer from depression during a certain time. In addition to the large incidence of depression has a strong tendency to relapse (the return). High recurrence may be associated with genetic susceptibility, initial onslaught of symptoms, diagnosis and inadequate treatment and inadequate emphasis on prevention.
Untreated depression often leads to personal, marital, family, work and financial difficulties and is associated with high suicide rates (some studies say by almost 15% in patients with severe depression).