Often, information on specific products may be misleading or even inaccurate. For instance, when the Los Angeles Times , a newspaper in California, commissioned laboratory tests on 10 St. John's wort products, researchers found that the potency of the products varied dramatically from what their labels claimed. Standardized products generally are considered the highest-quality herbal products that a consumer can buy. 7 Treating Depression Depression is a common illness that strikes perhaps 1 in 15 Americans each year. A person's mood, thoughts, physical health, and behavior all may be affected.
Depression can be mild, moderate, or severe.
Mild depression is characterized by difficulty in functioning normally, while moderate depression may involve impaired functioning at work or in social activities. Severe depression, which may involve delusions or hallucinations, markedly interferes with a person's ability to work or otherwise function and may lead to suicide. Genetic factors may put a person at risk for developing depression, and alcohol or drug use can make the problem worse. Major depression includes mild, moderate, or severe depression that is not characterized by manic-depressive mood swings or induced by a substance such as alcohol. Several antidepressant drugs have become more widely used in the past several years and been found to be effective.