Admit a learner gets depressed (5)
I believe the answer is:
allow
'admit' is the definition.
(allowing is a kind of admiting)
'a learner gets depressed' is the wordplay.
'learner' becomes 'l' (as in a learner driver with L-plates on their car).
'gets' says to put letters next to each other.
'depressed' becomes 'low' (similar in meaning).
'a'+'l'+'low'='ALLOW'
(Other definitions for allow that I've seen before include "Permit, consent to" , "Permit or concede" , "Permit or agree" , "Give permission to" , "Permit, let happen" .)