Melancholia, also known as melancholy, is a concept found throughout ancient, medieval, and premodern medicine in Europe that describes a condition characterized by markedly depressed mood, bodily complaints, and sometimes hallucinations and delusions. It is a subtype of depression, and people with melancholic depression often feel extreme despair and guilt. They may struggle to feel any happiness, even when good things happen in their lives. Melancholia can look very different from non-melancholic depression. Compared to an individual with another type of depression, someone with melancholia typically develops symptoms at a later age, has more severe symptoms, is more likely to have psychomotor symptoms, and is more likely to have anxiety or suicidal thoughts. Melancholia is sometimes called “endogenous depression,” meaning “depression that comes from within. The condition is highly heritable, and people with melancholia are likely to have a family history of mood issues or suicide. Social and psychological factors rarely contribute to melancholia the way they might with other depression subtypes. Melancholia can be successfully treated with psychotherapy, antidepressant medicines, and other physical treatments such as electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) .