These symptoms are present most days for at least two weeks. This is treated in the same way as major depression. It often improves with time. Many physical problems can cause depression. The treatment for these is first to treat the physical problem, and if the depressive symptoms are still present, treat them like major depression.
Normal grief can produce many of the same symptoms as depression.
These usually improve over several months. If a person who has suffered a loss continues to have symptoms such as poor appetite, weight loss, and trouble sleeping, they may have developed a depression and could benefit from treatment. Depressed older persons sometimes do not show the same symptoms as younger adults. Instead, they may lose interest in their usual activities, or have vague physical symptoms like tiredness or pain that doesn't respond to the usual medical treatments. Another common difference is that older adults may notice significant problems with their memory when depressed, and think that they are developing Alzheimer's disease.