A medical condition in which a person feels very sad, empty, or hopeless for a long time and loses interest in daily activities. It can also mean a period of very bad economic activity or a low area in a surface.
From Latin *depressio* meaning 'a pressing down', from *deprimere* ('to press down'). The term spread from physical low spots to low moods and weak economies.
Depression is not just 'feeling sad'; it’s more like a long-lasting emotional low pressure system that makes everything harder. The shared term for brain, landforms, and economies shows how powerful that image of being 'pressed down' is across different fields.
Clinical depression has been diagnosed and treated differently across genders, with women's symptoms often dismissed as 'hysteria' historically and men's underdiagnosed due to norms against expressing vulnerability. Research and care have sometimes overlooked gender-diverse people's experiences and barriers.
Use 'depression' as a serious mental health term, not casually; avoid stereotypes that it is a 'women's issue' or a sign of weakness.
["clinical depression","major depressive disorder (when clinically appropriate)","low mood (for non-clinical states)"]
Acknowledge the contributions of women and gender-diverse clinicians, researchers, and advocates who improved recognition and treatment of depression.
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