DEPRESSION
DEFINITION |
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Most people experience an occasional "off day" when everything seems
to be going against them. The term "depression", however, is used to
describe a more serious or prolonged episode of the blues, which in
severe cases can interfere with an individual's social life, work
and sleep patterns. Depression may develop gradually over a long
period without apparent cause. Some forms of depression appear to
have a repeating pattern while others are short-term and once-off
episodes.
Over 300,000 Irish people suffer from
depression every year. Women are affected more than men. However,
statistics show that every year consistently more men than women
commit suicide or attempt suicide (parasuicide), perhaps because men
are more reluctant than women to seek help for depressive symptoms
or talk to others about their feelings. The highest rates of
depression occur in adults aged between 25 and 44 years. |
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| DEPRESSION RELATED ITEMS |
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