Types of depression: names and symptoms, from major depression to seasonal, perinatal and bipolar depression

CareOps editorial team · October 28, 2026 · 9 min read

Mental wellness information and service guidance published by CareOps.

Isn't all depression the same? Once you look, there are several names. Some depression sinks deep within a couple of weeks, some sits low for years, some returns every winter and some arrives after childbirth. Here is an overview of the types of depression by name and symptoms, along with what to look at when you wonder which one sounds closest to your situation.

Types of depression at a glance: names and key features #

The US National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) describes two common types of depression and several others that appear at particular times or together with other symptoms. The table below summarizes them.

This table is not for diagnosing yourself. It is a map for getting a sense of where your situation might sit. Two types can overlap in the same person, and a diagnosis is made in a clinical visit.

Major depression: symptoms of the most common type #

What people usually mean by “depression” is major depression. According to NIMH, it is diagnosed when low mood or a loss of interest and pleasure lasts most of the day, nearly every day, for at least two weeks, together with symptoms such as changes in sleep, appetite and energy, poor concentration and self-blame, so that daily life is disrupted. In children and teens it may show up as irritability rather than sadness. To go through the nine symptoms one by one, see nine early signs of depression.

Persistent depressive disorder (dysthymia): low mood that lasts #

Persistent depressive disorder, also called dysthymia, involves milder symptoms than major depression but lasts much longer, usually two years or more. Because daily life keeps going more or less, it is easy to brush off as “just how I am.” If you have had low energy, little enjoyment and a low view of yourself for years, it may be long-standing depression rather than personality. Deeper episodes can also come on top of it.

Seasonal affective disorder: depression that returns every winter #

Seasonal affective disorder is not a separate illness so much as a type of depression with a recurring seasonal pattern. According to NIMH, it usually starts in late fall or early winter and lifts in spring and summer, lasting about four to five months of the year. Diagnosis looks for depressive episodes in the same season for at least two consecutive years. A less common summer pattern also exists. It is more than the brief “winter blues” many people feel when days get shorter; it changes how a person feels, thinks and behaves. For winter-pattern symptoms and ways to cope, see seasonal depression.

Perinatal depression: depression during pregnancy and after birth #

Perinatal depression occurs during pregnancy or after childbirth. It includes not only what people call postpartum depression but also depression during pregnancy. Unlike the baby blues, which come and go for a few days after birth, mood changes that are severe or last longer than two weeks after childbirth may be signs of postpartum depression. For how to tell it apart from the baby blues and a self-check, see postpartum depression symptoms and self-check. If exhaustion and low mood from caring for a child continue months after birth, see parenting depression.

Depressive episodes of bipolar disorder: if there have been high periods #

Bipolar disorder involves depressive episodes as well as manic or hypomanic episodes, with unusually elevated mood, more irritability or a big rise in activity. Seen only during a low, it can be hard to tell apart from ordinary depression, so clinicians also ask whether there were times when you needed less sleep and your thoughts and speech sped up. Treatment plans can differ by type, which is why this distinction matters. For manic and hypomanic symptoms and the difference between types I and II, see bipolar disorder symptoms.

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder and perimenopausal depression #

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder is a more severe form of premenstrual syndrome (PMS). In the weeks before a period, mood changes such as irritability, anxiety, sadness or loss of enjoyment become strong enough to disrupt daily life, then ease once the period starts. How it differs from everyday premenstrual mood changes is also covered in when mood swings are intense. Depression can also arrive with the physical and hormonal changes of the transition to menopause; we cover this in midlife depression symptoms and causes.

Depression with psychosis: when you need care right away #

This is severe depression together with delusions or hallucinations. For example, someone may hold an unshakable belief that they have committed a terrible wrong when it is not true, or hear sounds others can't hear. NIMH describes it as a severe form of depression. Because the person may not recognize that something is off, if family or friends notice this, help them get to a mental health professional right away.

Are smiling depression and high-functioning depression types of depression? #

Smiling depression, high-functioning depression and midlife depression, which you often see in searches, are everyday terms rather than diagnoses. Smiling depression describes smiling and getting things done on the outside while carrying depression inside; high-functioning depression describes living with depression while keeping up with work and daily life. If that pattern has lasted for years, it may overlap with persistent depressive disorder. A term not being a diagnosis doesn't mean the struggle is small. For the signs, see smiling depression.

When it looks like depression but has another cause #

NIMH notes that some medications and physical conditions, such as viral infections or thyroid problems, can cause the same symptoms as depression. So a clinical visit may include a physical exam or blood tests along with an interview to rule out other causes. If you recently started a new medication or have a physical illness, be sure to mention it. Don't stop or change medication on your own; talk with your doctor.

Can a depression test tell me which type I have? #

An online “depression type test” can't tell you which type you have. What separates the types is less the number of symptoms and more the story behind them: how long it has lasted, when it comes (season, childbirth, menstrual cycle), whether there have been high periods and whether delusions or hallucinations are present. That is explored in a clinical interview. What a self-check can do is show how strong your depressive symptoms are right now. The PHQ-9 is a nine-item check on how often you experienced the nine criteria for depression over the past two weeks (Kroenke et al., 2001). To compare several checks, see depression tests compared.

Whatever the type, depression is a condition that can improve with treatment. For the roles of talk therapy and medication and what to ask at a first visit, see depression treatment and preparing for your first visit. Writing down when it started, how often it happens and when it gets worse before your visit helps clinicians work out the type.

If you need a place to talk, whatever the type #

Whatever its name, putting the low mood you feel into words can be a first step. CareOps Maeumi is an AI counseling app that runs sessions with approaches such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and behavioral activation, works through your recent mood and daily life with you step by step, and remembers past sessions so the next one picks up where you left off. Get the app

This guide shares mental wellness information. If you are in immediate danger, contact emergency services where you are. Support and contact information.