It is not a passing mood. It is not a personal weakness. No job category or professional level is immune, and even a formerly outstanding employee can be affected. It enables people with depression to return to satisfactory, functioning lives. And nearly everyone gets some degree of relief.
Treatment includes medication, short-term talk therapy, or a combination of both.
Untreated depression is costly. A RAND Corporation study found that patients with depressive symptoms spend more days in bed than those with diabetes, arthritis, back problems, lung problems or gastrointestinal disorders. And costs escalate still further if a worker's untreated depression contributes to alcoholism or drug abuse. Still more business costs result when an employee or colleague has a family member suffering from depression. The depression of a spouse or child can disrupt working hours, lead to days absent from work, effect concentration and morale, and decrease productivity.