Depression is a serious mood disorder that affects the way you think, feel, and act daily. There are many different forms of depression, but they all negatively affect a person similarly. Depression is diagnosed if symptoms are present for more than two weeks at a time. Signs and symptoms include: “persistent sadness, anxiousness or an empty mood, feelings of guilt, worthlessness or hopelessness, loss of interest in hobbies and everyday activities, decreased energy or fatigue, difficulty sleeping, loss of appetite or weight gain, and thoughts of suicide (Depression).” To have depression does not mean to have every sign or symptom, but a combination of them that are present over a period of time. Depression is one of the leading mental health disorders in the world, and it is said that around 300 million people worldwide are affected (Morin). Anyone can attract this disorder meaning people of all ages, origins, ethnicities, and backgrounds can be affected. There are stressors that can increase the chances of becoming affected such as family genetics, major life changes, traumatic events, or illnesses and medications. Although not everyone has the same chances of having depression, statistically depression and mental health disorders are on the rise annually and learning more about them is as important as ever. Depression is directly linked to suicide and self-harm. Untreated depression heavily increases this risk for suicide and self-harm and the stigma surrounding mental health disorders needs to be tackled head on. World leaders and countries in general need to take a more definitive stance on depression and mental health disorders in general. The best way is to learn statistics in various regions and studying the possible causes and signs of depression forehand, and actively seek to understand and evaluate the disorder. Without that, the stigma and lack of acknowledgment surrounding depression and mental illness can finally become eradicated.