Depression

Depression is a mood disorder marked by persistent sadness, anhedonia (loss of pleasure), and impaired functioning. A sudden mood improvement in a severely depressed client can be a warning sign that they have settled on a suicide plan and gained the energy to act, so assess suicide risk directly. Screening tools such as the PHQ-9 help identify it, and SSRIs typically take 2–6 weeks for full effect, so safety must be maintained in the meantime.