Kristin Vickers Douglas, Ph.D., Mayo Clinic mental health specialist

There are some people who will have a single depressive episode, never to experience depression again. But we are understanding that for many, it can follow a course that's more like a chronic condition, such as asthma or diabetes. And so we are treating it like a long-term chronic condition for many people. And that means understanding the symptoms, understanding the course of the symptoms and matching treatment for wherever that patient is at.

When you think about it as a longer term condition, then you can also think about the strategies that you can use day to day, even when you're feeling good and the depression isn't severe. What are the things that you can do to maintain mood and keep the depression at bay? Self-management strategies, we call them.

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