Skip to main navigation Skip to main content Skip to footer
  • For Medicare
  • For Providers
  • For Brokers
  • For Employers
  • Search
    Search
    Español
  • For Individuals & Families:
  • For Individuals & Families:
  • Shop for Plans

    Shop for Plans

    • Plans through your employer
    • Learn about the medical, dental, pharmacy, behavioral, and voluntary benefits your employer may offer.
    • Explore coverage through work
  • Log in to myCigna
  • Log in to myCigna
  • Shop for Plans

    Shop for Plans

  • Member Guide
  • Find a Doctor
  • Home Knowledge Center Depression and Mental Health

    Depression and Mental Health

    Learn about the warning signs of depression and treatments.

    Depression is a common and serious medical illness that negatively affects how you feel, the way you think, and how you act. It causes feelings of sadness and a loss of interest in things you once enjoyed. It can even come with physical problems.

    Depression in older adults is common, but it is not a normal part of aging. It affects more than 6 million people in the U.S. age 65 years and older.1 This can make it difficult to treat other conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease. But, depression is treatable and sometimes preventable.

    What are the warning signs of depression?

    Feeling sad or blue is an occasional part of life, but if these feelings last more than 2 weeks, it may be a sign of depression.

    Other depression signs and symptoms may include:

    • Sadness lasting most of the day or almost every day
    • Loss of interest in all or almost all activities
    • Changes in weight or appetite
    • Sleeping more or less than normal
    • Feeling irritable, agitated, restless, or slow
    • Feeling guilty or worthless
    • Difficulty thinking, focusing, or concentrating
    • Repeated thoughts of death or suicide: If you’re experiencing these, please call your doctor or 911 immediately

    What causes depression?

    Feeling blue is not uncommon, but it’s important to know that you may be at risk for depression if you are:

    • Grieving the loss of a loved one
    • Losing a sense of independence because you need a caregiver or a health care facility
    • Retiring and feeling a loss of purpose or professional identity
    • Feeling unwell due to pain, illness, injury, and other conditions
    • Under stress mentally, physically, or financially
    • Taking certain medications
    • Misusing alcohol or prescription drugs

    When should someone get help for depression?

    Call your doctor if you feel any of the following depression symptoms for 2 weeks or more:

    • Sad, blue, or down
    • Tired, slow, or lacking energy
    • Loss of interest or pleasure in life

    What are some depression treatments?

    Your doctor may recommend that you:

    • Stick to a routine of daily activities. Decreased activity and changes in routines may make depression worse.
    • Exercise regularly, do things you enjoy, and limit alcohol. For mild symptoms, this might be all it takes to help you feel better.
    • Use relaxation techniques like meditation and deep breathing. These may help reduce stress levels.
    • Seek counseling. A mental health professional can help you identify and address underlying problems.
    • Take medication and/or cognitive behavior therapy.

    More Information

    For more about depression, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) wesbite.

    Tags

  • Therapy
  • Grief
  • Sadness
  • 1Depression in Older People, WebMD, June 4, 2020,https://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/depression-elderly

    I want to...
  • Get an ID card
  • File a claim
  • View my claims and EOBs
  • Check coverage under my plan
  • See prescription drug list
  • Find an in-network doctor, dentist, or facility
  • Find a form
  • Find 1095-B tax form information
  • View the Cigna Healthcare Glossary
  • Contact Cigna Healthcare
  • Audiences
  • Individuals and Families
  • Medicare
  • Employers
  • Brokers
  • Providers
  • Secure Member Sites
  • myCigna member portal
  • Health Care Provider portal
  • Cigna for Employers
  • Client Resource Portal
  • Cigna for Brokers
  • The Cigna Group Information
  • About Cigna Healthcare
  • The Cigna Group
  • Careers
  • Newsroom
  • Investors
  • Suppliers
  • Third Party Administrators
  • International
  • Evernorth Health Services
  • Cigna Healthcare. All rights reserved.
  • Privacy
  • Legal
  • Product Disclosures
  • Company Names
  • Customer Rights
  • Accessibility
  • Non-Discrimination Notice
  • Language Assistance [PDF]
  • Report Fraud
  • Sitemap
  • Cookie Settings
  • Disclaimer

    Individual and family medical and dental insurance plans are insured by Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company (CHLIC), Cigna HealthCare of Arizona, Inc., Cigna HealthCare of Illinois, Inc., Cigna HealthCare of Georgia, Inc., Cigna HealthCare of North Carolina, Inc., Cigna HealthCare of South Carolina, Inc., and Cigna HealthCare of Texas, Inc. Group health insurance and health benefit plans are insured or administered by CHLIC, Connecticut General Life Insurance Company (CGLIC), or their affiliates (see a listing of the legal entities that insure or administer group HMO, dental HMO, and other products or services in your state). Accidental Injury, Critical Illness, and Hospital Care plans or insurance policies are distributed exclusively by or through operating subsidiaries of The Cigna Group Corporation, are administered by Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company, and are insured by either (i) Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company (Bloomfield, CT); (ii) Life Insurance Company of North America (“LINA”) (Philadelphia, PA); or (iii) New York Life Group Insurance Company of NY (“NYLGICNY”) (New York, NY), formerly known as Cigna Life Insurance Company of New York. The Cigna Healthcare name, logo, and other Cigna Healthcare marks are owned by The Cigna Group Intellectual Property, Inc. LINA and NYLGICNY are not affiliates of The Cigna Group.

    All insurance policies and group benefit plans contain exclusions and limitations. For availability, costs and complete details of coverage, contact a licensed agent or Cigna Healthcare sales representative. This website is not intended for residents of New Mexico.

    Selecting these links will take you away from Cigna.com to another website, which may be a non-Cigna Healthcare website. Cigna Healthcare may not control the content or links of non-Cigna Healthcare websites. Details