US Medical Term · mental-health
Depression
Depresión
What it means
Depression is more than a feeling of being sad or irritable for a few days. MedlinePlus describes it as a serious mood disorder that can affect how a person thinks, feels, and lives everyday life. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) says it is also called major depressive disorder or clinical depression. Ongoing symptoms can include feeling sad or "empty," losing interest in favorite activities, sleeping too much or not enough, and feeling very tired. For a diagnosis, symptoms must occur most of the day, nearly every day, for at least two weeks. Most treatments include medicines and/or psychotherapy (psychotherapy). Thoughts of suicide are an emergency sign, and emergency signs need urgent care (call 911 in the U.S.; the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline takes calls and texts).
Depression in Spanish
- Spanish term
- Depresión
- Gender and article
- feminine: la depresión
- Pronunciation
- deh-preh-SYOHN
| Other Spanish terms | Where it is used | Note |
|---|---|---|
| depresión mayor | General | One of the names NIMH en español gives after "también llamada" in its definition of depresión. |
| trastorno depresivo mayor | General | Formal name given in the same NIMH en español list; it matches English major depressive disorder. |
| depresión clínica | General | Third name in the NIMH en español list; it matches English clinical depression. |
Depresión is the word used by both MedlinePlus en español and NIMH en español, and the Spanish dictionary marks it as feminine: la depresión. The dictionary labels the medical sense as psychology and psychiatry and describes a syndrome characterized by deep sadness. The word has other senses in the same entry, including a hollow in the ground and a period of low economic activity.
NIMH en español says depresión is also called depresión mayor, trastorno depresivo mayor or depresión clínica, and MedlinePlus en español lists depresión severa among its other names. MedlinePlus en español calls it a trastorno del estado de ánimo (mood disorder). Related words on the same page are antidepresivos (antidepressants) and psicoterapia, glossed as terapia de conversación (talk therapy). In a crisis, NIMH en español says to call or text 988, the Línea de Prevención del Suicidio y Crisis, and to call 911 in life-threatening situations.
Phrases for an appointment
What a patient or a clinician might say, in English and Spanish:
| Who | English | Spanish |
|---|---|---|
| Patient | For the past month I have felt sad almost every day. | Desde hace un mes siento tristeza casi todos los días. |
| Clinician | Have you lost interest in activities you used to enjoy? | ¿Ha perdido el interés en las actividades que antes disfrutaba? |
| Patient | Yes. I have no energy, and I am sleeping much more than usual. | Sí. No tengo energía y estoy durmiendo mucho más de lo habitual. |
| Clinician | Has anyone in your family had depression? | ¿Alguien de su familia ha tenido depresión? |
| Clinician | Have you had thoughts of death or of hurting yourself? | ¿Ha tenido pensamientos de muerte o de hacerse daño? |
| Patient | I was diagnosed with depression two years ago, and I take an antidepressant. | Hace dos años me diagnosticaron depresión y tomo un antidepresivo. |
| Patient | Can you refer me to someone for talk therapy in Spanish? | ¿Puede remitirme a alguien para recibir psicoterapia en español? |
| Clinician | If you ever have thoughts of suicide, call or text 988; if your life is in danger, call 911. | Si alguna vez tiene pensamientos suicidas, llame o envíe un mensaje de texto al 988; si su vida corre peligro, llame al 911. |
In 9 languages
| Language | Term |
|---|---|
| English | Depression |
| Spanish (Español) | Depresión |
| Chinese (中文) | 憂鬱症 |
| Korean (한국어) | 우울증 |
| Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt) | Trầm cảm |
| Filipino (Tagalog) | Depresyon |
| Portuguese (Português) | Depressão |
| Thai (ภาษาไทย) | โรคซึมเศร้า |
| Japanese (日本語) | うつ病 |
Where you'll see it
Related ICD-10-CM category
ICD-10-CM code: F32 → Depressive episodeRelated terms
Your right to an interpreter in the United States
If English is not your primary language and you have difficulty communicating in English, you may need an interpreter or a translated document when you visit a doctor or dentist, go to the emergency room or pick up a prescription. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights states that two federal laws, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, require programs that receive its funding to provide language access services free of charge.
You can ask when you make the appointment or at the front desk: "I need an interpreter, please." «Necesito un intérprete, por favor.»
More terms: Mental health
All terms in this area: Mental health — Salud mental
Sources
- Depression — MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine
- Depresión — MedlinePlus en español, Biblioteca Nacional de Medicina
- Depression — National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), NIH
- Depresión — Instituto Nacional de la Salud Mental (NIMH), NIH
- depresión — Diccionario de la lengua española — Real Academia Española / ASALE
- Limited English Proficiency (LEP): Your Right to Language Assistance Services — U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights
This page is a language reference. It is not medical advice.
Last reviewed: October 7, 2026