When a patient has a form of clinical depression, such as major depression, she has a hard time functioning. The mood disorder affects the patient's mood, sleep, appetite and behavior. Many of the characteristics of clinical depression are noticeable changes in the patient and can be treated with therapy and/or medication.
Low Mood
The Mayo Clinic states that with clinical depression, the patient has a constant low mood, in which she appears sad and tearful. Children and teenagers with depression may appear irritable instead of sad. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) notes that for a patient to be diagnosed with major depression, he must have this low mood for at least two weeks, along with four other symptoms of depression. The depressed mood can be accompanied by hopelessness and worthlessness.
Changes in Sleep and Appetite
Clinical depression can also affect a patient's sleep and appetite. For example, the patient can have an increase or decrease in appetite, which can result in weight loss or gain. A patient with seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a type of depression that occurs only during certain seasons of the year, has cravings for carbohydrates, with increases in appetite and weight. The patient can also have insomnia, in which she cannot fall or stay asleep, or hypersomnia, in which she sleeps excessively. Fatigue, a lack of energy and daytime sleepiness can occur with both insomnia and hypersomnia.
Loss of Interest
The Mayo Clinic notes that another characteristic of clinical depression is a loss of interest and pleasure in activities; this loss also continues every day, like the low mood. The patient does not participate in usual activities, or if he does, he does not enjoy doing them. The loss of interest can also result in social withdrawal. With children and teenagers, patients may have a drop in academic performance, which can be linked to concentration problems that also occur with depression.
Thoughts of Death
In severe clinical depression, the patient can begin thinking about death. The Mayo Clinic states that these suicidal thoughts can become reoccurring and take over the patient's thoughts, leading her to become preoccupied with her death. These thoughts of death can escalate into suicidal behaviors, such as taking unusual risks and suicide attempts.
