ArabicChineseEnglishFrenchRussianSpanish
WHO home
All WHO This site only
  WHO > Health topics

Depression

Woman crouching

Depression is a common mental disorder, characterized by sadness, loss of interest or pleasure, feelings of guilt or low self-worth, disturbed sleep or appetite, low energy and poor concentration.

These problems can become chronic or recurrent, substantially impairing an individual’s ability to cope with daily life. At its most severe, depression can lead to suicide. Most cases of depression can be treated with medication or psychotherapy.

RELATED SITES

- Depression and suicide (Region of the Americas - PAHO)
- Depression (South -East Asia Region)
- Depression (European Region)

RELATED LINKS

- Depression


KEY WHO INFORMATION

Director-General
Director-General and senior management

Governance of WHO
WHO Constitution, Executive Board and World Health Assembly

Media centre
News, events, fact sheets, multimedia and contacts

International travel and health
Publication on travel risks, precautions and vaccination requirements

World Health Report
Annual report on global public health and key statistics