ON the evening of April 1, a piece of amazing news spread quickly around China - Leslie Cheung Kwok-wing, one of Hong Kong's most famous actors and singers, had committed suicide by jumping from the 24th floor of a hotel.

　　Most of those receiving this news probably thought it was just the last big joke to end this year's "tricky" day.

　　But sadly, the story was fact: Cheung ended his life, probably due to depression.

　　Life is full of good times and bad, happiness and sorrow. But if someone has been feeling "down" for more than a few weeks, orshavingsdifficulty functioning in daily life, they may be experiencing more than just the "blues."

　　They may be suffering from a common yet serious medical illness called clinical depression.

　　Depression, the most common emotional disorder after anxiety, is expected to rank second as the cause of unnatural deaths and disabilities.

　　The most amazing information is that about 15 per cent of seriously depressed patients commit suicide, just like Leslie Cheung.

　　Depression is a feeling of intense sadness; it may follow a recent loss or other sad events but is out of proportion to that event and persists beyond an appropriate length of time, several months or even a couple of years.

　　Lu Zheng, doctor of Shanghai Consulting Centre said: "Depression typically hits people aged 25 to 40, but elderly patients are the mainsgroupsof seriously depressed patients."

　　Lu also said that women have more chance - perhaps even double - that of men when it comes to experiencing the mood disorder, though the reason is not entirely clear.

　　Most depression victims are usually in low spirits, unable to focus their attention, feeling sad or frustrated. They find life meaningless and lose interest in their family, work or hobbies.

　　Deep in their own blue mood, they're unaffected by people or events that are going on around them. Other signs include an unwillingness to communicate with others, keeping silence or remaining alone.

　　Deteriorating physical conditions such as insomnia, a suppressed appetite and weight loss are also characteristics of the disease. Self-accusation is another symptom of depression, as frequently making comments like "I'm too stupid,"or "Everyone does better than me".

　　There are many factors contributing to the increasing number of mood disorders: heredity factors, side effects of certain drugs, hormonal disorders and cancers.

　　But the introverted personality, emotionally upsetting events, pressure from the work, or even unhappy daily life can lead to depression.

　　Today, mental illness is still a taboo subject and many patients aren't aware that depression needs medical treatment before it turns very serious.

　　The treatment for depression includes psychotherapy, electro-convulsive therapy and drugs.

　　However, about two thirds of patients are prone to recurrence of the depression one or more times over a lifetime.

　　Consult doctors for medical help in the psychiatry department of big hospitals or the Shanghai Consulting Centre.