What is Depression?

Depression is more than feeling sad or "blue". Depression is an illness that affects a person's mood, thoughts and body. Depression can interfere with daily life. Even people with severe cases of depression can be treated. For some people, talking with a therapist can help them feel better. Others benefit from medication or need a combination of medication and therapy. The first step is to visit a health care provider.

We offer three ways to look at how successful health care providers are in treating adults with major depression:

• How many patients were feeling better (in remission)
• How many patients were making progress toward feeling better (responding to treatment)
• How many patients completed the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) to see if treatments were working (their providers used the PHQ-9)