Is it Grief or Depression?
Grief is the normal response to loss. It is a complex response to loss that includes psychological, behavioral, social and physical reactions.

Depression especially a true clinical depression is a mood disorder in which feelings of sadness, loss, anger, or frustration interfere with everyday life for an extended time.

Many people experiencing grief, the normal response to loss or a death, may think that they are experiencing depression. Conversely, people who think they may be experiencing depression may actually be experiencing grief. On National Depression Screening Day you can locate a provider for an in-person screening or take one online.

(If you are reading this after the National Depresson Screening Day (October 4) other ways of getting screened are listed near the bottom of this article.)

Comparing Grief vs. Depression
The table below provides a side by side comparison of Grief vs. Depression.

Characteristics of Grief: A normal complicated response to loss that causes distress May experience some physical symptoms of distress Still able to look towards the future Passive wish for death Associated with disease progression Retains capacity for pleasure Still able to express feelings and humor Comes in waves Can cope with distress on own or with supportive listening Pharmacotherapy for grief is an exception, not the rule

Characteristics of Depression: Generalized distress – loss of interest, pleasure Somatic distress, hopelessness, guilt No sense of positive future Bored, lack of interest and expression Suicidal ideation not uncommon Persistent flat affect, negative self-image Advanced disease and pain Change in capacity to enjoy life or things that were formerly pleasurable Constant, unremitting Often requires intervention with medication, therapy May require combined psychosocial interventions and pharmacotherapy

More On Depression
With Depression, the symptoms are present nearly every day and persist for the majority of the day for at least 2 weeks, occurring together during the same time frame, and causing a level of distress or impairment that interferes with important aspects of daily life e.g. work, self care and social activities.

Concerning symptoms include:

• Persistent sad, anxious, or empty mood.
• Sleeping too much or too little, middle-of-the night or early morning waking.
• Reduced appetite and weight loss or increased appetite and weight gain.
• Loss of interest or pleasure in activities, including sex.
• Irritability or restlessness.
• Difficulty thinking, concentrating, remembering or making decisions.
• Fatigue or loss of energy.
• Thoughts of death or suicide.
• Feeling inappropriate guilt, hopelessness or worthlessness.

October 4, 2006: National Depression Screening Day
The National Depression Screening Day website offers several ways of getting screened on October 4.

• In Person - Find a Site: Listing of NDSD 2006 and Year Round Screening Sites
• Online - Take an Anonymous Online Depresison Screening
• Military Service Members & their Family - Special Military Health Link

Other Resources for Depression Screening
If you are reading this after the National Depresson Screening Day there are still ways of getting screened. About.com provides several different quizes to decide if you or your child or teen might be experiencing depression:

• Depression Screening Quiz - Anonymous Wakefield Screening Test - From About's Depression Guide, Nancy Schimelpfening
• Depression Screening Quiz for Children and Teens - From About's Pediatric Guide, Vincent Iannelli, MD
• Depression Test - From About's Depression Resource Center

More About National Depression Screening Day
In 1991 Screening for Mental Health, Inc., (SMH) introduced the concept of large-scale mental health screenings with National Depression Screening Day. SMH programs have expanded to include in-person and online programs for a variety of disorders. Programs are implemented by local clinicians at mental health facilities, hospitals, primary care offices, social service agencies, colleges/universities, workplaces, schools and the military. Nearly 600,000 screenings were completed at some 12,000 facilities in 2005.

Table Source - Adapted from:
The Center for Palliative Care Education. Module 6: Psychosocial & Psychiatric Issues. Psychiatric Issues in HIV/AIDS Palliative Care (PowerPoint) 2006. Date Accessed October 2, 2006.
Dyer KA. Understanding the Grief Response and Creative Ways to Cope: Handout. Presentation given to Hospice of the Sierra, Visiting Nurses' Association, March 2004.
Rando TA. Treatment of Complicated Mourning. Champaign, IL: Research Press, 1993. 203-8.

_{Image. Kat Callard. Sadness. Royalty Free Use.}