In today's society, depression is referred to as the "common cold of the mental health problems." (Bourne and Russo 24). More than five percent of Americans have depression, which equates to an astonishing 15 million people. It is said that 1 out of every six people have had a major depressive episode in their life. It is estimated that it costs the nation a sum of 43 billion dollars a year in medication, lost school days, lost workdays, and professional care for depression. Tens of thousands of people out of the 15 million attempts to commit suicide because of depression and about 16,000 of those people succeed (Bourne and Russo 24).

Depression, loosely defined, is a disorder marked by a state of deep and pervasi

Schwartz, A., Schwartz, R. M. Depression: Theories and Treatments. New York: Columbia University Press (1993)

There are several major causes of depression that may occur in people. The first causes are the biological causes that are thought to be (1) heredity in which the individuals inherit directly as well as genetic transmission of vulnerability, and (2) physiological disturbances, which currently focus on the body's neurochemical, endocrine, and limbic systems. Psychological causes are thought to include (1) family origin, which focuses on the general area of personality and its development, and (2) social, influences, which covers such things as poverty, segregation, and sexism. Stress is another factor in depression. Stress can result from physical illness, the inability to cope with certain life events, such as separation and loss, and from significant changes, such as marriage, and childbirth (Schwartz and Schwartz .3).

Suicide is now the second leading cause of death after accidents, from age 15 to 19. Adolescence is a difficult period where teens experience major hormonal change. They have higher highs and lower lows. They're loosening family ties, but not yet established as individuals. This combination can lead to deeply emotional reactions to major losses. Depression is not common in young children, but abuse, losses, and having a seriously depressed parent increase the risk. Their symptoms tend to be behavioral. One must notice unusual irritability, aggressive outbursts, and problems at school (Strange 48).

Individuals who can approach a problem from a unique perspective and those who are more cognitively oriented are also likely to do better with this approach. The second is interpersonal therapy, which is another short-term therapy utilized in the treatment of depression. The focus of this treatment approach is usually on an individual's social relationships and specifically on how to improve them. It is thought that good, stable social support is imperative to a person's overall well being and health within this framework. When relationships falter, a person directly suffers from the negativity and unhealthiness of that relationship. Therapy seeks to improve a person's relationship skills, working on communication more effectively, expressing emotions appropriately, being properly assertive in social and occupational situations (Clarkin et al. 209). It is usually conducted, like cognitive-behavioral therapy, on an individual basis but can also be used within a group therapy framework.

Bourne, L. E,. Jr., & Russo, N. F.Psychology Behavior in Context. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc. (1998)

Many symptoms are included in the diagnosis of depression. There are major indicators people should be aware of to let people know that they might have the possibility of having depression. Some of those symptoms are as follows: (1) the depressed mood - more than 90 percent of depressed people appear to be depressed. They look sad, their mouths are often turned down at the corners, their eyes may appear red and swollen from crying and they may lack a sense of humor. They will frequently show little interest or enjoyment for activities that normally

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