Depression on the Internet

By Mary Ann Gruppuso
Faculty of Information Studies
University of Toronto
 ©1996

Table of Contents

What is Depression?

It is a mental state characterized by prolonged feelings of despair and/or a pervasive loss of interest or pleasure. A person experiencing a depressive episode may describe the feeling as sad, hopeless, down or discouraged (Brueschke, Erich, ed. The World Book-Rush Presbyterian St.Luke's Medical Center Medical Encyclopedia. USA: World Book Inc. 1994)

There are numerous resources available on the Internet for anyone who is depressed or knows someone who is depressed. Healthcare personnel may also be able to find useful information. The majority of these resources are located on WWW sites. As a result, one needs a browser, such as Netscape, to access this material. Also, to telnet or ftp, one needs additional software programs. Consequently, with the exception of listservs, these resources cannot be accessed via e-mail.

For those with e-mail access ...

Depress Mailing List:
This site provides ongoing conversation and support for those dealing with depression.
To subscribe: send msg "subscribe depress" to listserv@soundprint.brandywine.american.edu
To unsubscribe: send the message "unsubscribe depress" to the same address

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How does one find information on the WWW?

Once a decision has been made to look to the Web for information, the next step is to determine whether to browse one of the subject trees, use a search engine or use a combination of these approaches. The amount of information is growing every day so it is important to know where to search to find the information you need.

Search Engines Vs. Subject Catalogues

There are two interdependent approaches to finding information:

Subject Catalogues
These are lists of links organized by their content. Catalogs are very easy to navigate as users just follow the links under their topic.
If your objective is to find what has been published on a broad topic, browsing a subject tree and following the links related to your topic is a good starting place.
Search engines
A user retrieves documents based on certain words, phrases or patterns within these documents. Factors that determine the success of search engines are: the size, content and currency of database, speed of searching, availability of search features, interface design and ease of use.

Don't limit your search to just one. If you search a subject catalogue, make sure you use at least one of the other search engines.

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For Your Information:

I've presented a number of subject catalogues and search engines that I used to search for information on depression. The results of my searches can be found by clicking here.

  • ALTA VISTA

  • EXCITE
    Excite, like Infoseek, allows you to browse through sites that are similar to the one that you chosen.

  • HOTBOT
    I did not like hotbot. All the irrelevant sites seemed to be listed in the first documents that were retrieved. Compared to the other search engines, I found it disappointing.

  • INFOSEEK
    This search engine offers you the option of "similar pages". It lists a site and if you like it, you can link to a "similar page". Also, you can search e-mail addresses or choose a language option - French, English, Dutch, Japanese or Spanish

  • LYCOS
    The retrieval set contained the date of entry and the last modification of the Web site. This is useful, especially if you are looking for current information. I found a number of relevant depression sites using this search engine.

  • MAGELLAN
    This subject catalogue provides a good starting place.

  • WEBCRAWLER
    It was not one of my favourite search engines as I had a hard time finding relevant information on depression.

  • YAHOO
    If you're in the mood to browse, this subject catalogue is a great place to start. Begin your browsing in the category "Health" and you will eventually end up in "Clinical Depression".


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Searching Tips

  • Once several relevant sites are retrieved, it is a simple matter to locate other sites as many contain links to other places.

  • Evaluate what you are reading and do not take it at face value. There is no one out there monitoring the accuracy or currency of information on the Internet.

  • Different search engines and catalogues have different commands. Therefore it is best to do some reading in order to get the most out of your search. For example not all search engines have proximity operators!

  • Often, in terms of search results, there is quite a bit of duplication of sources. This is natural, as many search engines have overlapping information in their databases.

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WWW Depression Resources

I discovered a number of depression sites on the WWW. I have listed them from the most general sites (ie. the Internet Public Library) to the most specific. There is even a page for people who like to be depressed!

A Starting Place...

Healthtouch
This site offers a list of contents and key word search of their database. For example depression retrieved 18 matches that covered treatment, causes and symptoms of depression. It also offers a pharmacy search with up-to-date information on drugs.


Internet Public Library
IPL carefully evaluates documents before including them in their catalog. Chosen links are chosen because they are the most valuable or complete within the particular subject area a user is searching. It may not contain every relevant sites but what a user finds is usually useful.
For example, to find depression one should go to the Health and Medical Sciences in the Ready Reference Section. Click on mental health and you will find some general resources and annotated listings for information on the Internet.
For example: A Layperson's Short Classification of Psychotherapeutic Drugs.


Med Help Search Engine
The articles in this database are written in non-technical terminology as they are aimed at the patient. To get full access, one must be a member but there are guest access privileges. When I searched under depression, they came up with a number of articles. It also provides the reader with a warning: it is not responsible for the accuracy of content of these citations. The ones that I looked at appeared to be valid.


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Everything you wanted to know about Depression but were afraid to ask...

  • Alt.Support Depression FAQ.
    http://stripe.colorado.edu/~judy/depression/asdfaq.html
    This is a very thorough site whose discussion on depression is easy to read and understand. It covers symptoms, treatments, causes, substance abuse, findng help, available therapies and more... Some of these are very valuable and practical. For example they have suggestions on how to make it through the day.
    This site is also available through anonymous ftp at rtfm.mit.edu.


  • The Anxiety-Panic Internet Resource.
    http://www.algy.com/anxiety/abw.shtml/
    Don't let the title fool you. This is a great site which contains a section on depression. It's a colorful, informative site that contains links to other Web sites around the Internet.


  • Anxiety, Depression, And Manic Depression.
    http://medical.org/cpa/public/miaw/anxieeng.htm
    This website was created by the Canadian Psychiatric Association. It gives a brief overview of the depression and other mood disorders including a short commentary on phobias.


  • Depression Primer.
    http://www.duke.edu/~ntd/DEPR/contents.html
    This site is provides a comprehensive coverage of depression. The page is very simple with no images. It has a list of contents which allows the user to go directly to the link he/she would like to follow. The information is easy to read and presented in a straightforward manner.


  • Fineberg, Andrew. Depression.
    http://www.blarg.net/~charlatn/Depression.html
    This site was written by an individual who has suffered from depression for thirty years. It is full of personal experiences. The author provides a very thorough FAQ (Frequently asked question) list which provides the reader with definitions, causes, and treatments of depression. It is well laid out and the links are easy to follow.


  • Goldberg, Ivan. Depression Central.
    http://www.psycomm.net/depression.central.html
    This site is very current and includes lots of information on depression written by a doctor who has published books on depression. Numerous aspects of depression are covered including, Seasonal Affective Disorder, Bipoloar Mania, depression in adolescents and depression in the elderly. He also provides a disclaimer that emphasizes information should not be used as a substitute for seeking professional care or diagnosis. This is an excellent idea as people may take this information as solid and diagnose themselves.
    The site is well-organized, ie. the topics are alphabetically organized. The only problem is that a few of the links do not work and need to be updated.


  • Robbins, Ryan. Depression: What it is, Theories, Treatment, Hope.
    http://maine.maine.edu/~RROBBI32/dep.html
    This site has a number of statistics. It looks at reactive and physical depression and who is at risk. What makes this site different from others is that it looks at the causes of depression from a psychodynamic view. It also provides information on how diet and season affect mood. This is a good site especially for psychology students.


  • Taylor, Dennis. Internet Depression Resources List.
    http://earth.execpc.com/~corbeau/
    Dennis Taylor has created an excellent and detailed site. He provides information on different drug treatments. There is also a annotated list of other depression sites on the Internet. This is one of my favourites in terms of information and lay-out. It provides an annotated resource guide which can save the reader time and effort.


  • University of Illinois Counseling Centre. Understanding Depression.
    http://www.odos.uiuc.edu/Counseling_Center/depress.htm
    It is a well-written and helpful guide to depression, especially for friends and family of the depressed person. It provides a general introduction to depression that discusses symptoms, causes and treatments in easy-to-understand terms.

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The Different Faces of Depression

  • All That is Morbid.
    http://falcon.cc.ukans.edu:80/~james/morbid.html
    This depression webpage might bring a smile to your face and is one of my favourite links. However, I will provide a word of warning, this page "is for those who are depressed and like it". It includes links to poets (ie. Edgar Alan Poe) as well as morbid poetry and song lyrics.

  • Finding Help: How To Choose a Psychologist
    http://www.apa.org/pubinfo/howto.html.
    This site was created by the American Psychological Association and is very good, especially for people who are unsure of how to find a psychologist or know what they are looking for. It provides the reader with definitions of terms such as psychology and psychotherapy. It also provides examples of things people should be aware of when searching for help.


  • Depression: Effective Treatments are Available.
    http://www.nimh.nih.gov:80/publicat/effect.htm
    This pamphlet (also available in print) goes over the symptoms of depression and mania. For example, it offers a section on how depression can be recognized in the workplace.


  • Major Depression Treatment.
    http://www.cmhc.com/disorders/sx22t.htm
    This site provides a summary of the treatments that are used with people suffering from depression. Discussion includes psychotherapy, drugs and hospitalization. The author provides a bibliography for his work.


  • NYU Department of Psychiatry. Online Depression Screening Test.
    http://www.med.nyu.edu/Psych/screens/depres.html
    This site has a mail-in questionaire with ten questions on it. Test results will tell you if you have symptoms of depression but cautions you to seek help. It is fun to do but a person cannot self-diagnose themselves on the basis of this test. It may not be a valid or reliable instrument for measuring depression.


  • Recommended Reading About Depression and Mental Health.
    http://members.aol.com/depress/reading.htm
    This site provides a bibliography of books which are relatively current. They are divided by genre; for example, there are biographies and books on medication.


  • SAD: Seasonal Affective Disorder.
    http://www.psychiatry.ubc.ca/mood/md_sad.htm
    This page was created by the Mood Disorders Clinic at the University of British Columbia. It provides the reader with a definition, symptoms and treatments of SAD. There are also recommended readings for people who would like more information on this disorder.


  • Suicide Prevention.
    http://www.commnet.edu/QVCTC/classes/conflict/suicid.html
    The author provides the reader with behavioural symptoms that may suggest suicide. This is always a possibility with someone who is severely depressed and the information in this page is very helpful.


  • Treatment.
    http://www.mentalhealth.com/rx/p23-md01.html
    This page is aimed at physicians as it uses psychological terminology that may be difficult for the user to follow if they are not familiar with depression. Family therapy, psychoanalysis, hospitalization and antidepressant therapy are just a few of the topics covered.


  • What To Do If A Friend has Depression.
    http://www.save.org/student.html
    This is very basic guide for students which outlines suggestions for helping those who are depressed. It does not describe treatment or symptoms but attempts to prevent suicide and provide help for depressed people by educating the public (in this case friends of the depressed)


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Newsgroups

  • alt.support.depression
  • alt.support.depression.seasonal
  • sci.psychology.misc
  • sci.psychology.research
  • soc.support.depression.misc
  • soc.support.depression.treatment
  • soc.support.depression.crisis
  • soc.support.depression.family

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Bibliography

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Appendix:
Results of Search Engines and Subject Catalogue Searches

I carried out two searches in each catalogue and search engine in my quest for information on depression:
1) For the first one I simply searched under the term "depression". I received mixed results. I had a lot of hits but I also retrieved several sites that were irrelevant. However, this occurred in every search and may be explained by the Internet's lack of organization.
2) I searched under the words "depression" and "mental" and "health". I thought this would narrow it down and eliminate sites such as those dealing with the "Great Depression". Unfortunately this was not always the case. Instead, I tended to retrieve documents that focused on the general term of mental health with only a small section on depression.

Keep in mind that results often depend on the subject and what may be true for this search may be false for another topic.

Here are the results:

Name URL Catalogue (C) or Search Engine (SE)? Search #1 Results (documents retrieved) Search #2 Results (documents retrieved)
ALTA VISTA http://www.altavista.digital.com SE 80000 80000
EXCITE http://www.excite.com SE 110687 20016
HOTBOT http://www.hotbot.com SE 137727 27332
INFOSEEK http://guide-p.infoseek.com SE 6278 81453
LYCOS http://www.lycos.com SE 6001 47
MAGELLAN http://www.mckinley.com/ C 6648 24109
WEBCRAWLER http://query.webcrawler.com SE 4556 1120
YAHOO http://www.yahoo.com SE 139 53