This topic covers depression in adults. For information on depression in young people, see the topic Depression in Childhood and Adolescence. For information on depression following childbirth, see the topic Postpartum Depression.

　　本文探討的主要關于成年人的抑郁癥。若需查詢關于末成人的抑郁癥，請查看“兒童和青年人的抑郁癥。產后抑郁癥請查看”產后抑郁“。

　　What is depression?什么是抑郁癥？

　　Depression is a mood disorder that causes you to feel sad or hopeless for an extended period of time. More than just a bout of the blues or temporary feelings of grief or low energy, depression can have a significant impact on your enjoyment of life, your work, your health, and the people you care about.

　　抑郁是在一段時間內持續的一種精神絮亂，它讓人感覺悲傷，對生活失去希望。不止發作一次的悲傷心情，或沒有精力，抑郁對人們的生活，工作，健康，甚至對周圍的人們都會產生很大的影響。

　　Depression affects people differently. Some feel down for extended periods of time; for others the feelings of depression come and go. If you have short episodes of mild depression, you may be able to continue to work and take care of daily activities. However, if you do not seek some form of treatment for your depression, you are at risk for getting more depressed or becoming physically ill. In severe cases, depression can cause people to become incapable of communicating, unable to do routine activities, or suicidal. In these cases, it is essential to seek medical attention.

　　抑郁對人們的影響是不同的。有些人經常情緒失落，而有些人只是偶爾有這種情緒。如果你偶爾有這輕微的抑郁，可能你能繼續工作，應付日常工作。但，如果不對你的抑郁尋求一些治療，你可能就會變得更加抑郁，或生病的風險。嚴重抑郁會導致人無法正常交流，不能進行日常的活動，甚至自殺。在這種情況下，尋求藥物治療就非常重要。

　　People with depression may be reluctant to seek help because they feel that it is a sign of personal weakness or a character flaw or that they should be able to pull out of it on their own. We now know that depression, like other medical conditions, has a chemical and biological basis. Treatment for depression is safe and usually effective even for severely depressed people.

　　患抑郁的人通常認為它是個人性格上的弱點，或是性格上的缺陷，他們認為能夠通過自身的努力消除，從而他們不愿意尋求幫助。我們知道，抑郁和其它的疾病一樣，都有生物和化學基礎。治療是安全的，對于患有嚴重抑郁的人，它通常是非常有效的。

　　If you think you may have depression, take a short quiz to evaluate your symptoms:

　　如果你認為你可能有抑郁的話，填寫一份簡短的測試問卷來分析你的癥狀。

　　Are you depressed?你抑郁嗎？

　　What causes depression?什么會引起抑郁？

　　Depression may be triggered by stressful life events, other illnesses, certain drugs or medications, or inherited traits. Although causes of depression are not entirely understood, we know it is linked to an imbalance in brain chemistry. Once the imbalance is corrected, symptoms of depression generally improve.

　　過高壓力的生活事件，其它疾病，一些藥物或治療，或遺傳因素等都有有可能引發抑郁。雖然抑郁的起因不能完全搞清楚，但我們知道它和大腦內某種化學物質的失衡有聯系。一旦這種失衡被糾正之后，抑郁就會大大的改善。

　　What are the symptoms?抑郁有哪些癥狀？

　　Depression is more than just the normal, temporary feelings of sadness and hopelessness associated with difficult life events. Common symptoms include:

　　抑郁是一種和困難生活事件相關的，自然的，臨時性的，傷心，失望的一種感受。一般的癥狀包括：

• Depressed mood.
  情緒抑郁。
• Inability to enjoy activities.
  不能享受運動。
• Problems concentrating.
  注意力無法集中。
• Poor memory.
  記憶力差。
• Difficulty making decisions.
  優柔寡斷
• Changes in eating habits.
  飲食習慣改變。
• Weight gain or weight loss.
  體重增加或減少。
• Changes in sleeping habits.
  睡眠習慣改變。
• Difficulty going to work or taking care of your daily responsibilities.
  無法正常地進行日常工作和生活。
• Feelings of guilt and hopelessness; wondering if life is worth living (common).
  有罪惡感，感覺沒有希望；懷疑生命存在的價值（普遍現象）
• Slowed thoughts and speech.
  思考緩慢，表達緩慢。
• Preoccupation with thoughts of death or suicide.
  常常想到死亡，或自殺。
• Complaints that have no physical cause (somatic complaints) such as headache and stomachache.
  抱怨不存在的身體病痛，例如，頭痛，胃痛。

　　All of these symptoms can interfere with your quality of life. Even if you don't have major depression, if you have experienced a few of these symptoms for at least 2 weeks you may have a less severe form of depression that still requires treatment.

　　所有的這些病癥都會影響生活質量。即使沒有這些主要的癥狀，如有這其中這些部分現象持續超過二周時間的，可能就患有輕度的抑郁，仍然需要治療。

　　How is it treated?如何治療？

　　Depression is usually treated successfully with professional counseling or antidepressant medication. Often a combination of the two is most effective. People with depression usually can be treated as outpatients, but in severe cases a period of hospitalization may be necessary.

　　通過專業的開導或服用抗抑郁藥物，都可能成功的治療抑郁。通常將二者結合治療效果更佳。通常抑郁患者不需住院治療，但情況嚴重的，需要住院一段時間。

　　If you have mild or moderate depression, you may be diagnosed and treated by your family health professional and a therapist or psychologist. If you have severe depression or other psychological disorders or do not respond to treatment, a psychiatrist, a doctor who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental health problems, may be helpful.

　　如果患有輕微或中度的抑郁，可以通進家庭醫生或臨床醫師或心理專家進行診斷和治療。嚴重的抑郁，或其它的精神絮亂，或治療無效的，精神健康專業醫生可能會提供幫助。

　　Let your health professional know if you suspect that you have depression, because it is often overlooked. If you are diagnosed with depression, you and your health professional can decide on the best treatment. The earlier you are treated, the more quickly you will recover.

　　如果你懷疑自已有抑郁，一定要讓你的健康醫生知道，因為它通常會被忽略。如果你被診斷患有抑郁，一起和你的健康醫生決定最好治療方案。越早治療，越早恢復。

　　How common is depression?抑郁普遍嗎？

　　If you have symptoms of depression, you are not alone. In the United States, an estimated 15% of people will have depression at some point in life, and chances of becoming depressed are even higher for certain people. For example:

　　如果你有抑郁的癥狀的話，你并不孤單。在美國，預計15%的人都有抑郁，某些有患抑郁的有可能性還要高些。例如：

　　Women experience depression twice as often as men, although men are more likely to commit suicide as a result of depression.女性患抑郁的可能性是男性的兩倍，雖然，男性在患抑郁之后比女性更易自殺。

　　Separated or divorced individuals, especially men, are more likely than married people to become depressed.

　　分手或離異的人，特別是男性，比結婚的人更易患抑郁。

　　People who have a serious illness are more likely to suffer from depression.

　　患有嚴重疾病的人更易患抑郁。