Glossary
antidepressants Drugs used to treat depression.
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bipolar disorder A type of depression that causes severe high and low moods.
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depression A disorder associated with low mood that prevents a person from leading a normal life.
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dysthymia Chronic depression that reoccurs over a period of at least two years in adults and one year in children and adolescents.
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electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) A procedure in which an electric current is briefly applied to produce a seizure. It is used for quick relief of depression symptoms or to ease depression that doesn't respond to other forms of treatment.
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major depression Depression that is disabling and long-lasting.
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phototherapy Used to treat seasonal affective disorder, phototherapy involves exposure to light from a box of white fluorescent light tubes.
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postpartum depression Occurs in a mother after giving birth. Symptoms range from mild to severe and may appear within days of delivery or gradually, perhaps up to a year later. Symptoms can last from a few weeks to a year.
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psychiatrists Medical doctors who specialize in treating mental, emotional, or behavioral disorders.
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psychologists Specialists who concentrate in the science of the mind and behavior. Psychologists are not medical doctors and typically cannot prescribe medication, but do perform evaluations and use psychotherapy.
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psychotherapy Depression treatment involving talking to a therapist.
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seasonal affective disorder (SAD) Depression that occurs each year at the same time, usually starting in fall or winter and ending in spring or early summer.
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St. John's Wort An herbal remedy sometimes used for depression. It's unclear whether it actually works.
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