Who Discovered Mental Depression?

Doctors and theorists have struggled with the concept of mental depression since the beginning of Western medicine, according to Peter Kramer, M.D., in "Against Depression."

Hippocrates

• Hippocrates believed depression came from black bile.

  Hippocrates, as early as the 5th century B.C., described "melancholy," as a disorder of the humors causing an excess of black bile and dejection. Hippocrates' "melancholy," however, broadly encompassed many physical and mental illnesses.

Aristotle

• Aristotle wondered about heroes with depression.

  In the "Problems," Aristotle asked why so many heroes and artists were afflicted with melancholy. He concluded that too much black bile leads to insanity, but a moderate amount creates "superior men."

Kraepelin

• Kraepelin classified various mental illnesses.

  In the 19th century, Emil Kraepelin developed a "nosology," or classification of diseases, identifying different mental illnesses, including depressive states.

DSM-IV

• Depression can be lengthy and disabling.

  As of 2009, the Diagnostic and Statistical Reference Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV), was the standard for defining mood disorders. The manual identifies "major depressive disorder," a severe condition lasting at least two weeks, and "dysthymic disorder," which can be milder but persists for two years or more.

Controversy

• Some doctors think depression is not an illness.

  Not all psychiatrists agree that depression is a disease. Thomas Szasz in a 1998 debate, contended that mental disorders lacked objective disease markers, and that suicide was not a medical problem but a moral one.

Warning

• If you feel suicidal, ask for help.

  Depression can cause suicidal thoughts and acts. If you find yourself thinking of harming yourself, contact a doctor immediately.