What Is the Difference Between Madness & Depression?

"Madness" is a commonly used term for insanity. People with clinical or major depression are not insane. They are no danger to the community at large. People who become insane may also be depressed, but having depression does not mean one is mad.

• Depression and insanity are two different things.

Symptoms

• People who fall under the legal definition of insanity suffer delusions of grandeur, paranoia and irrational beliefs. Symptoms of depression include fatigue, chronic pain, hopelessness and planning suicide.

Decision Making

• According to Ryan Howes, Ph.D., writing for "Psychology Today," the insane cannot determine right from wrong. Depressed people can.

Misconception

• Because depression is a mental illness, people erroneously assume all depressives are insane. According to "On the Stigma of Mental Illness" (Patrick W. Corrigan, 2005), this misconception means depressives are treated by others as dangerous.

Legality

• Insanity is a legal, not medical, definition applied to people who can't determine right from wrong. Depression is a medical definition for a diagnosable illness.

Fun Fact

• A hit pop music band from England found success under the name Madness. Currently, no band has found success under the name Depression.