In the field of psychiatry the terms depression or depressed are used in both the ordinary, non-clinical sense and to refer specifically to pathology, especially when the mood of depression has reached a level of severity and/or duration that warrants a clinical diagnosis. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) states that a depressed mood is often reported as being: "... depressed, sad, hopeless, discouraged, or 'down in the dumps'." In traditional colloquy, "depressed" is often synonymous with "sad," but both clinical and non-clinical depression can also refer to a conglomeration of more than one feeling. Such a mixture can include (but is not limited to) anger, fear, anxiety, despair, guilt, apathy, and/or grief, in addition to what many people would describe as typical "sadness."

Biological influences of depression are varied, but can include hereditary, hormonal, and seasonal factors, stress, illness, neurotransmitter malfunction, and long-term exposure to dampness and mold and to aerosol exposure via the frequent use of air fresheners and other aerosols in the home, all of which are more fully discussed in the major depressive disorder article.


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