Are you not feeling well? Do you suffer from a lack of drive, no longer enjoy doing things that you normally enjoy and often feel depressed? Then this could indicate depressive symptoms. You are not alone in this!

Depressive illnesses are among the most common mental disorders and can have varying degrees of impact on life and everyday activities, depending on their severity and course. According to estimates from the Study on the Health of Adults in Germany (2016), around 5.3 million people (8.2%) of the general population suffer from unipolar depression within a year. Unipolar here means that there is a strong disproportionate change in mood towards the negative pole. In the following sections, the terms unipolar depression and depressive disorder are used synonymously. The lifetime prevalence, i.e. the probability of developing a depressive disorder in the course of a lifetime, varies between 20 and 26% for women and between 12 and 16% for men. Women are about twice as likely to develop the disorder as men. But, here is the good news: there are very good treatment options that are constantly being evaluated and improved through ongoing research.

What exactly is a depressive disorder, how does it develop and how does it manifest itself? Below you will find a selection of information as well as possible sources of help and advice that you can turn to. On our pages "First aid during your studies", "Stress-free with yoga", "Study mentally fit forum" and "Sorgenfresserchen", you will find offers that can accompany you through your studies and increase your well-being.