Clinical depression usually involves one or more of the following symptoms consistently for at least a two-week period: feelings of sadness, hopelessness, or pessimism; lowered self-esteem and heightened self-depreciation; a decrease or loss of ability to enjoy daily life; reduced energy and vitality; slowness of thought or action; loss of appetite; suicidal ideation; and disturbed sleep or insomnia. Depression differs from simple grief or mourning, which are appropriate emotional responses to the loss of loved persons or objects. Where there are clear grounds for a person’s unhappiness, depression is considered to be present if the depressed mood is disproportionately long or severe.Depression is probably the most common psychiatric complaint; the rate of incidence increases with age in men, while the peak for women is between the ages of 35 and 45 (women in general suffer from depression more often than men). Most professionals now agree that biological, social, and psychological factors all contribute to depression. The chief biochemical cause seems to be the defective regulation of the release of one or more naturally occurring monoamines in the brain, particularly norepinephrine and serotonin. Reduced quantities or reduced activity of these chemicals is linked to depression. Treatment of depression has been a controversial topic in recent years as new drugs have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Many types of psychotherapy, both individual and group, are used to treat depressed patients; the medications most often prescribed are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which regulate serotonin. A combination of psychotherapy and medication is generally the preferred choice for treatment. Hospitalization may be necessary if a patient is contemplating suicide. Although most depressed individuals are only mildly suicidal, poorly monitored administration of medications may actually increase the risk of suicide. The energizing effects of an anti-depressant can empower patients to act on suicidal thoughts, whereas they previously lacked the energy or will to do so; an inadequate or incomplete trial of a medication has also been correlated with increased suicide rates. An alternate or complementary approach to the treatment of depression involves the use of self help techniques, including depression-oriented support groups.