Melancholy: Oxford Very Short Introductions 007

Depression may be the 21st century's most severe epidemic (and one without a vaccine), but does depression truly exist?

Depression is the most common mental illness in developed countries. Many people acknowledge that depressive states are real, but find it difficult to distinguish whether such depression is an emotional or mood state, part of a pessimistic personality, or a mental illness. Some observers argue that depression is a modern societal invention, blaming the rise of "medicalization" and believing that those who advocate for treatment, especially the use of antidepressants, are accomplices of the pharmaceutical industry.

This book discusses the evolution of the concept of depression and its treatment, examines certain controversies, and suggests directions for future research.

Does depression really exist? How can suicide be prevented? Does psychotherapy change brain function? This is not a patient guide; it is a very (very) brief introduction and selective commentary on a complex and challenging topic.

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Only when we learn to imagine depression as pain, superstition as a feeling of social support through love, and medication as a reflection of our underlying anxieties, can we understand the social roots of the six major troubles of the 21st century within a highly atomized social structure, and construct a healing culture suitable for every community and every individual. — Chao En-Jie