The simple message is depression is an illness with signs and symptoms. One of the main difficulties in treating depression is getting depressed people in for treatment. There is also the difficulty of distinguishing clinical depression from being a bit down because of negative events in life. But the blues are transitory. You talk to a good friend and they go away.
Clinical depression stays around two weeks or more and, if untreated, can stay around a long time.
Anonymous Screening The screening program, available to Harvard faculty, staff, their families, and retirees through March, has been designed for people who may be suffering from clinical depression. The program is accessed through a toll-free telephone number, which can be reached 24 hours per day. A recorded voice asks questions and the responses are tallied by a computer. The screening program asks no identifying questions and provides a telephone number for referral services to those needing further help. If you want to call at 2 a.m. from a touch-tone pay phone, it'll work.