Depression is a disease characterized by a period of at least two weeks in which a person feels sad, melancholic or “down”, accompanied by a tightness in the chest (anguish), unease (anxiety), despondency and lack of energy. The individual feels apathetic, lacks motivation, finding everything pointless and becoming pessimistic and worried. This state affects the organism as a whole and compromises sleep, appetite and physical disposition. The manifestation of the clinical state may vary greatly. The depression may be intermittent or continuous, lasting weeks, months or years.

According to the World Health Organization globally depression is the most under-diagnosed disease.  Research shows that around 45% of people who suffer from depression are not diagnosed and therefore do not receive adequate treatment.