Our Depression Information Section

This section of the site provides information about the nature and treatment of depression and related mood disorders.

Still under construction. In the weeks and months ahead, we will be adding to these pages. In the mean time, you may find that some of the links below are not yet active.

Note: Information on these pages is provided for educational purposes only. It should not be taken as a substitute for care from a qualified healthcare provider.

• What is depression?
• Numbers and trends.
• Causes of depression.
• Treatment of depression.
• Help for family and friends. Coming soon.
• Depression resources. Coming soon.

Ask the average person - even the average healthcare professional - to list the most significant health problems: the most common, the most expensive, the most disabling. You will receive a variety of answers. Cancer, heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease. All of these answers are correct. But chances are, one answer will be missing. Few people will think to include depression on the list.

In fact, depression is one of the leading causes of disability. Up to 1 in 20 Canadians experience a depression-related illness each year. More than 12% will experience a depression-related illness at some point in their lives.

The World Health Organization has identified depression as one of the top 5 health problems world-wide in terms of years lost to disease-related disability. Depression is believed to cost the Canadian economy approximately 8.8 billion dollars per year, mostly in lost productivity.

Fortunately, depression is a treatable problem. Millions of dollars worth of research has been conducted into the nature and treatment of depression, and genuine gains have been made.

Treatments range from self-care strategies (including exercise and dietary management) to psychotherapy (particularly specific evidence-based therapies) to medical interventions (such as medication).

Use this portion of the Changeways Clinic site to learn more about depression.