What Are the 8 Different Types of Depression?
Updated on May 5, 2026
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If you have depression, it’s important to know which type you have. While all types have persistent feelings of sadness or low mood in common, the combination of symptoms you experience beyond that and the cause of your depression allow a clinician to diagnose you with a specific condition and guide you to the best treatment options.
“It is much more than just a sad mood,” says Angelos Halaris, MD, PhD, a psychiatrist and a professor of psychiatry at Loyola University Chicago’s Stritch School of Medicine. Symptoms of the various kinds of depression may include everything from hopelessness and fatigue to physical pain.
This serious mood disorder causes severe symptoms that affect how you feel, think, and manage your daily life, often leading to persistent feelings of sadness and loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities. Many labels actually fit under the umbrella term “depression,” including major depression, atypical depression, and dysthymia.
The good news is that even if depression symptoms are severe, there is treatment. Options like therapy or medication can help improve depression symptoms. Here are eight different types of depressive disorders.
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Read More1. Major Depressive Disorder: A Common Type of Depression
The most common type of depression is major depressive disorder (MDD), sometimes referred to as major depression or clinical depression. About 15.5 percent of the adult U.S. population has this debilitating mental health condition in any given year.
If you're experiencing MDD, you may have symptoms that include:
- Extreme sadness
- Hopelessness
- Anhedonia (loss of interest in pleasurable activities)
- Lack of energy
- Irritability
- Trouble concentrating
- Changes in sleep or eating habits
- Feelings of guilt
- Physical pain
- Thoughts of death or suicide
For an official diagnosis, your symptoms must last for more than two weeks.
In some instances, a person might only experience one episode of major depression, but this type of depression tends to recur throughout a person's life.
Some people may also develop MDD with “atypical” features — though these depressive symptoms may actually be more common than their “typical” opposite.
Atypical MDD is characterized by mood reactivity, or a temporary improvement in how you feel in reaction to real or possible positive events. Oversleeping and overeating are two other distinct symptoms of atypical depression. (Features of typical MDD include unchanged mood in reaction to positive events, and difficulty eating and sleeping.)
People with atypical depression may also gain weight, experience irritability, have a heavy feeling in their arms or legs, or have increased sensitivity to interpersonal criticism or rejection.
The most effective treatment options for MDD are psychotherapy (aka talk therapy) and medication. And there's good news: An estimated 70 to 90 percent of people with major depression do well with treatment. Physical exercise is also increasingly prescribed by physicians as a treatment for MDD, and research shows that it can lessen depressive symptoms.
2. Dysthymia: The Common Depression Type You May Not Know
About 2.5 percent of American adults have a type of depression during their lives that's less severe than major depression, but is still very real — dysthymia, also known as persistent depressive disorder.
Dysthymia is a type of depression that causes a low mood over a long period of time — more than two years, according to diagnostic criteria. “People can function adequately, but not optimally,” says Dr. Halaris. Symptoms include sadness, trouble concentrating, fatigue, and changes in sleep habits and appetite.
This depression type is usually treated with psychotherapy, medication, or a combination of the two. Because dysthymia usually lasts longer than five years, some people may need long-term treatment. People with dysthymia may also be at risk for episodes of MDD.
3. Postpartum Depression: Low Mood After Having a Baby
Many women feel some sadness during pregnancy or shortly after their baby is born. According to the biggest research study on the topic, about 33 percent of women who experienced depression related to pregnancy said it started during pregnancy, and about 40 percent said it started after giving birth. And for about one in five women, those feelings are serious enough to be diagnosed as a subtype of MDD called postpartum depression.
Postpartum depression is characterized by the following symptoms:
- Feelings of extreme sadness or severe mood swings
- Anxiety
- Fatigue
- Loneliness
- Hopelessness
- Suicidal thoughts
- Fears or thoughts about hurting one’s baby
- Feelings of disconnect from one’s child
This depression type can occur anywhere from weeks to months after childbirth, and Halaris says that it almost always develops within a year after a woman has given birth.
“It needs prompt and experienced medical care,” Halaris says — and that may include talk therapy, medication, or a combination of the two.
4. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Extreme Winter Weariness
Would you prefer to hibernate during the winter than face those cold, dreary days? Do you tend to gain weight, feel blue, and withdraw socially during the season?
You could be one of about 5 percent of people in the United States estimated to have a subtype of MDD called seasonal affective disorder, or SAD.
Though many people find themselves feeling low in winter, SAD is characterized by symptoms of feeling down nearly all the time, anxiety, increased irritability, daytime fatigue, and weight gain, among others. This type of depression typically occurs in colder climates, likely due to the lack of natural sunlight.
“We don't really know why some people are more sensitive to this reduction in light,” says Halaris. “Symptoms are usually mild, though they can be severe.”
This type of depression usually starts in fall or winter and lifts in the spring, and it can be treated with light therapy or artificial light treatment, along with medication. And one medication, bupropion XL (Wellbutrin XL, Forfivo XL), can even prevent SAD if you start taking it in the fall. For some people, SAD can be linked to the summer months; it’s treated with medication.
5. Psychotic Depression: Losing Touch With Reality
Psychosis — a disconnection from reality characterized by disorganized thinking or changes in behavior; false beliefs, known as delusions; or false sights, sounds, or other sensory experiences, known as hallucinations — doesn't typically get associated with depression. But according to research, nearly 20 percent of people with MDD develop psychotic symptoms.
“People with psychotic depression may become catatonic, not speak, or not leave their bed,” Halaris says.
Treatment may require a combination of antidepressant and antipsychotic medications, and may also require hospitalization, especially if psychosis makes you a danger to yourself or others. A review of 16 randomized controlled studies found that a combination of a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor and a second-generation, or atypical, antipsychotic medication was associated with the best response to treatment, compared with treatment with either an antidepressant or antipsychotic alone.
6. Bipolar Disorder: From High to Low (and Back to High Again)
If your periods of extreme lows are followed by periods of extreme highs or periods that contain both highs and lows (mixed episodes), you could have bipolar disorder, a type of depression previously called manic depressive disorder because symptoms can alternate between mania and depression.
Signs of mania include high energy, excitement, racing thoughts, and poor judgment. “Symptoms may cycle between depression and mania a few times per year or much more rapidly,” Halaris says, referring to a phenomenon in bipolar disorder known as “rapid cycling,” when someone has four or more mood episodes in a year. “This disorder affects about 2 to 3 percent of the population and has one of the highest risks for suicide.”
Bipolar disorder has four basic subtypes:
- Bipolar 1, which is characterized by at least one manic episode, with or without ever having had a depressive episode
- Bipolar 2, which is characterized by hypomanic episodes — which are milder — along with depression
- Cyclothymic disorder, which is characterized by milder highs and lows than those of bipolar 1 or bipolar 2 disorders
- Other specified or unspecified bipolar and related disorders, in which your mood episodes don’t follow the patterns of the other types
People with this type of depression are typically treated with drugs called mood stabilizers, antidepressants, and antipsychotics, as well as psychotherapy.
7. Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder: When Depression Strikes Women Once a Month
Premenstrual dysphoric disorder, or PMDD, is a type of mood disorder that affects women 7 to 10 days before their menstrual cycle begins and continues for the first few days of their period. Symptoms include depression, anxiety, mood swings, and irritability or anger.
Unlike premenstrual syndrome (PMS), which affects about 20 to 40 percent of women and has milder symptoms, PMDD affects about 2 to 8 percent of women of childbearing age and is much more severe.
“PMDD can be severe enough to affect a woman's relationships and her ability to function normally when symptoms are active,” says Halaris.
Treatment for this kind of depression may include the following options, alone or in combination:
- Antidepressants
- Oral contraceptives, including drospirenone/ethinyl estradiol (Yaz), which is approved to treat PMDD by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
- Hormone blockers or hysterectomy (removal of the uterus, ovaries, and fallopian tubes) in severe cases
- Talk therapy
- Nutrition therapy
8. Situational Depression: When Life Gets You Down
Many episodes of depression are triggered by a stressful or life-changing event, such as a job loss, the death of a loved one, or trauma — even a bad breakup. This is what’s known as situational depression, which is also called adjustment disorder with depressed mood.
The predominant symptoms often include the following:
- Low mood
- Tearfulness
- Feelings of hopelessness
- Trouble performing your everyday routines
- Impulsive or reckless behavior
- Physical symptoms like headache or abdominal pain
In these cases, the symptoms don’t meet the full criteria for a diagnosis of MDD and typically don’t last as long. However, an adjustment disorder with depressed mood can develop into MDD over time.
The Takeaway
- All forms of depression have persistent sadness or low mood at their core, but there are a number of unique types, with different causes and treatment plans.
- Major depressive disorder (MDD) is the most common form of depression, though there are a number of others, including dysthymia, postpartum depression, and seasonal affective disorder (SAD).
- Treatments for most types of depression typically consist of a combination of medication and psychotherapy, though some forms may respond to interventions like physical exercise or light therapy.
Resources We Trust
- Cleveland Clinic: Depression
- Mayo Clinic: Depression (Major Depressive Disorder): Diagnosis and Treatment
- Stanford Neurodevelopment Affect and Psychopathology Laboratory: Types of Depression
- Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care: Types of Depression
- Beyond Blue: Types of Depressions
Additional reporting by Christina Vogt.
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
- Depression. Cleveland Clinic. January 13, 2023.
- Types of Depression. Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care. April 15, 2024.
- Major Depressive Disorder. National Alliance on Mental Illness. June 2025.
- Clinical Depression (Major Depressive Disorder). Cleveland Clinic. November 30, 2022.
- Types of Depression. Stanford Neurodevelopment Affect and Psychopathology Laboratory.
- Atypical Depression. Cleveland Clinic. February 15, 2023.
- Zahra SM et al. Manifestation and Measurement of Atypical Depression: A Scoping Review. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy. August 3, 2025.
- What Is Depression? American Psychiatric Association. April 2024.
- Persistent Depressive Disorder (PDD). Cleveland Clinic. September 28, 2024.
- Dysthymia. Johns Hopkins Medicine.
- Fact Sheet: Maternal Mental Health. Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health. April 28, 2026.
- Postpartum Depression: Symptoms and Causes. Mayo Clinic. November 24, 2022.
- Seasonal Depression (Seasonal Affective Disorder). Cleveland Clinic. April 10, 2022.
- Nearly 4 in 10 Americans Experience Declining Mood in Winter, APA Poll Finds. UTHealth Houston McGovern Medical School. December 19, 2022.
- Psychosis. Cleveland Clinic. May 15, 2022.
- Peng R et al. Prevalence and Clinical Correlates of Psychotic Symptoms in First-Episode Untreated Female Chinese Patients With Major Depressive Disorder. BMC Psychiatry. July 28, 2023.
- Oliva V et al. Pharmacological Treatments for Psychotic Depression: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis. The Lancet Psychiatry. March 2024.
- Bipolar Disorder. Mayo Clinic. August 14, 2024.
- Bipolar Disorder. Cleveland Clinic. April 20, 2026.
- Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder: Different From PMS? Mayo Clinic. January 19, 2024.
- Gao M et al. Global and Regional Prevalence and Burden for Premenstrual Syndrome and Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder: A Study Protocol for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Medicine. January 7, 2022.
- Siminiuc R et al. Impact of Nutritional Diet Therapy on Premenstrual Syndrome. Frontiers in Nutrition. January 31, 2023.
- Diagnosing and Treating Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder. Harvard Health Publishing. April 8, 2026.
- Understanding Situational Depression. Cleveland Clinic. July 11, 2025.
- Are You Experiencing Situational Depression? University of Maryland Medical System.
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