When does the “blues,” a period of feeling down in the dumps for whatever reason, turn into depression, a clinically diagnosed mental health problem? (And the most common mental health problem worldwide). The short answer, short enough to fit into a Facebook profile box, is “It's complicated.”
The long answer is that while sometimes feeling sad or down is natural (especially after a the loss of a loved one, a break-up or a similarly life-changing event), depression is longer-lasting, and may need formal treatment, like talking therapies, or prescription medication. Telling the difference between when someone (like you, your partner, or your child) has the “blues” or is experiencing clinical depression is kind of like invoking the offside rule on a football pitch: it's a matter of perspective, and the rule itself is greatly misunderstood.
Depression can carry with it more than a “low mood:” it can affect the way a person eats, sleeps, interacts socially, and is able to function daily. It may even leave a person unable to do simple things like shower or do the washing up, or at worst, liable to hurt themselves.
Here is the
NHS Choices depression self-assessment test. If there's a simpler rule of thumb to tell whether you or someone close to you is down, or is actually afflicted with depression, it could be this: if their “blues” are leaving them unable to cope with the stuff they used to do, or enjoy, or simply makes getting through the day a Herculean endeavour, then maybe you should consider getting them a wider circle of support, involving their GP, and perhaps other professionals.
If you or a loved one feel you simply cannot cope any longer, and need immediate help, please call or write to the
Samaritans. All calls, emails, and letters are anonymous:
If you or your partner have just had a new baby, and one or both of you are showing signs of depression, please see these
Netmums pages about Post-Natal Depression (PND).