1) Depression is a common problem among young people.

True. One out of every twelve people between the ages of 13 and 25 has serious depression sometimes.

2) There are different forms of depression.

True. Depression can be brought on by difficult problems in life (situational depression - often triggered by the death of a loved one or other loss), or it can happen even when life should be going well (clinical depression - a chemical imbalance in the brain).

3) Depression is a person's own fault.

False. Clinical depression is a mental illness that often will not go away without medical help. It is not the person's fault.

4) The best way to deal with depression is without medicine.

False. There are many ways to manage depression, including therapy, taking medicine, and changing your lifestyle. For many people, medicines -- such as Prozac, Zoloft, or Paxil -- provide some of the best help for dealing with depression.

5) Women are more likely to get depressed.

True. Women do suffer from depression more than men. But men can also become depressed.

6) People with depression are lazy.

False. People with depression may sometimes not want to get involved in life. Sometimes they may not even want to get out of bed. But this is not because they are lazy; it's because they are going through great personal pain.

7) Major depression can be brought on by the stresses in our lives.

True. Stresses from family, friends and school can all bring on depression.

8) Untreated depression can lead to suicide.

True. If you are worried that a friend has depression, you should talk to him or her. You should also talk to adults whom you trust: parents, teachers or a doctor.

9) Depression runs in families.

True. A person is more likely to have depression if other members of the family have depression.

10) Depressed people often use drugs or alcohol.

True. A person with depression may try to feel better by taking drugs or alcohol. Drug or alcohol abuse is one of the warning signs for depression.