Depression is a common disorder that involves depressed mood and or near complete loss of interest or pleasure in activities that were previously enjoyed; somatic (e.g., weight change, sleep disturbance) and cognitive manifestations (e.g., difficulty in concentration) are common (1).

Depression is a debilitating factor in life, It’s frequency is estimated to be around 15-20% (2).
Depressive disorders are characterized with sadness severe enough or to interfere with function and often decreased interest or pleasure in activities that were previously enjoyed. Exact cause is unknown but probably involves heredity, changes in neurotransmitter levels, altered neuroendocrine function, and psychosocial factors. Diagnosis is based on history. Treatment usually consists of drugs, Psychotherapy, or both and sometimes electroconvulsive therapy or rapid transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) (3) .

Sadness and joy are part of everyday life. Sadness is a universal response to defeat disappointment and other discouraging situations. Joy is a universal response to success, achievement and other encouraging situations. Grief a form of sadness is considered a normal emotional response to the death of a loved one. Bereavement refers to specifically emotional response to loss of a loved one. In some cases the response to a loss is persistent and overlaps with those of post traumatic disorder (PTSD) for more than 12 months(4).

Exact cause of depressive disorder is unknown but genetic and environmental factors contribute. Depression is common among first degree relatives of depressed patients and concordance between identical twins is high. Major life stresses especially separations and losses commonly precedes episodes of major depression however such events do not usually cause lasting severe depression except in people predisposed to a mood disorder(5).

Certain drugs such as some beta blockers, reserpine, interferon and corticosteroids can also result in depressive disorders. Toxic effects or withdrawal of drugs may cause transient depressive symptoms(1).