Depression is very common and affects more than 1.5 million Australian adults each year. Depression will affect 30% of men and 40% of women over their lifetime. Depression can often be treated successfully, but it can re-occur. We have called our Internet-based treatment program for depression the "Sadness" program.

What are the Symptoms of Depression?

People who are depressed may have lots of different symptoms, but often they feel sad (feel unhappy, feel down, or feel blue), suffer low energy levels (tiredness or fatigue), and have low self-esteem. These symptoms must have been present for at least two weeks for a formal diagnosis. Other symptoms that people often report include changes to sleep patterns, changes to eating patterns, and irritability.

When people are depressed they may avoid social contact, and other activities that they usually enjoy. When people are severely depressed they may have thoughts of hurting themselves or of ending their life. If you are having such thoughts please urgently contact Lifeline (ph 13 11 14), your GP, another health professional, or your local mental health team. Or, in a crisis, dial 000. Remember, depression can be treated!

Depression has three main types of symptoms:

1. Physical symptoms. These include a lack of energy, and changes in appetite (some people eat more, while others eat less), and changes in sleep patterns (some people sleep more, while other sleep less).
2. Worrying and negative thoughts such as “I'm a failure", “I’m never going to succeed", “the world is a bad place”, and so on. These types of symptoms often lead to low self esteem and feelings of hopelessness and helplessness. Depression can also affect our ability to concentrate, which then affects our memory, so people who are depressed often feel forgetful (which makes them feel worse!).
3. Changes in behaviour. People with depression often avoid doing activities they used to do. So, they may avoid going out to see friends, going shopping, going to the supermarket or bank, or even going to work.

Depression vs. Grief

Depression is different to grief. Grief is often triggered when we experience a loss (death of a friend or family member or pet, change in job or occupational status, or some other significant loss). Grief usually involves feeling sad, and experiencing some of the symptoms of depression described above. And, for some people grief can take a long time to recover from. But, the main difference between grief and depression is that people who are depressed often also suffer low self-esteem. That is, they feel "bad about themselves" or "unworthy", while people who are grieving usually have normal self-esteem.

Treatment for Depression

Depression is treatable! The best treatments involve learning about your symptoms, learning how to control those symptoms (using Cognitive and Behavioural techniques or CBT), and gradually resuming your usual activities. These techniques are usually very effective for people with mild levels of depression. Antidepressants plus these techniques are recommended when people have moderate to severe symptoms of depression, and it's important that anyone learning CBT also see their GP regularly.

You can talk to your GP about getting a referral to a Clinical Psychologist, Psychiatrist, or another mental health professional to learn to manage your depression. Or, you can try our Sadness Program.

What is the Sadness Program?

Sadness is an Internet-based treatment program designed to teach people with depression how to manage their symptoms. We developed Sadness because many people with depression never seek treatment, but many have access to the Internet. By providing good education and guidance on simple but effective treatment techniques we hope that you will get better control over your symptoms, improve your confidence, and get back to living a full and happy life!

The First Research Trials

We have now completed three research trials of the Sadness Program, with about 200 people in total. The results have been very good, with most people reporting a significant improvement in mood and anxiety. Importantly, our follow-ups indicate that most people have sustained the improvements they made during the program.

The Next Trial of the Sadness Program

We are currently updating the existing Sadness Program. In the meantime, you may want to consider registering your interest for the next trial of the Wellbeing Program (which also treats depression). The next trial of the Wellbeing Program will begin in early 2011.

Page Last Updated:   2 August 2010, by Dr Nickolai Titov