Depression
- 1 in 10 people are affected by depression in the UK
- By 2030depression is predicted to be the world’s biggest health problem
- Only £1.55 is spent on research each year for every person affected in the UK
What is depression?
We all experience low mood sometimes - it is a normal part of life especially after a loss or bereavement. Depression in the medical sense however can leave people feeling severely sad, empty, hopeless or guilty for weeks, months or even years.
It can affect every part of a person’s life. Relationships. Work. Physical health. They all suffer. And, at its most severe, it can be life-threatening.
Depression can also have physical symptoms, such as fatigue, sleeping badly or much more than usual, poor appetite or overeating, and loss of sex drive.
Everyone experiences depression differently. But however it affects people, it’s definitely not the same as simply feeling low for a few days or something that people can ‘snap out of’.
Help tackle depression
Join thousands of others in transforming mental health
Uncovering the priorities for depression research
There’s so much we don’t know about what causes depression, how we can prevent it and which treatments work best. Research is essential to answering these questions.
To focus our work, we asked 3,000 people with depression what research answers would make the biggest difference to their lives. Their answers highlighted preventing the occurrence and recurrence of depression as the highest priority.
Our research into depression
Profiles
Treating depression in remote communities
Can HIV health workers in rural Uganda be trained to treat the mental health of their patients as well as the physical?
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Identifying what’s behind anxiety and depression
Our researchers are tackling the thought processes which make people worry and focus on failure in depression and anxiety.
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Exploring how serotonin causes depression
Could chemicals in the brain cause depression by affecting which genes are involved in different brain processes?
More about this projectRelated Posts
Depression research priorities – where next?
Ten research questions for depression were prioritised by patients, carers and healthcare professionals. Now what needs to happen to get them answered by research?
Depression: my story, my questions
When it comes to my mental health I have so many questions, and so few answers.
Need help?
Get information and advice on anxiety disorder at NHS Choices. If you're having a mental health emergency find out who to turn to using our urgent help and advice resource.