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What is Depression?
| Mood Disorder | Depression is a common mood disorder. According to the World Health Report 2001 by the WHO, one in every four persons would be affected by a mental disorder at some stage in life. Initial estimates have suggested that about 450 million people are suffering from mental or neurological disorders or from psychosocial problems today. 121 million of which suffer from depression. |
| Global Disease Burden | World Health Report 2001 also stated that major depression is now the leading cause of disability globally and ranks fourth in the ten leading causes of the global burden of disease. If projections are correct, by 2020, depression will become the second leading cause of global burden of disease. |
| Never a Weakness | Some people might think depressed people fail to control their emotions and see it as a disability or weakness. This is a misunderstanding. Isn’t it the case that it is not to the liberty of an ill person to choose whether to suffer from the very illness he/she carries? |
| Could be Anyone | Depression can also happen to people with strong wills or a tough character. Depression sufferers come from various backgrounds, including people of different ages and of both genders. |
| Devastating Setbacks | Death of beloved ones, losing a job, bankruptcy, permanent body injuries, terminal diseases, psychological changes in adolescence, and mid-life or elderly crises can all be the origins of depression. |
| Youth and Depression | Changes in social environment and family pattern emerge a trend in which depression sufferers are younger in age. More and more adolescents are suffering from this mood disorder. |
| The Pressurised Youngsters | Academic pressure, dire parental relationships, dating problems, materialism, and lost of self-values are all stressors to youngsters. It is crucial to understand and find relieves from such burdens in order to help prevent depression. |
| It is Not Merely Sadness | Owing to the public’s lack of knowledge about depression, initial symptoms are often overlooked and misidentified as an ordinary mood swing. This often delays proper treatment and in turn affects the sufferer’s normal life and interpersonal relationships, eventually resulting in tragedies. |
| It is Curable | Depression is just like a common cold; it’s curable. 60-80% of sufferers feel better after treatment. The earlier you seek help, the faster it goes. (Schulberg et al., 1996) |
| References: | Schulberg, H., Block, M. R., Madonia, M. J., Scott, C. P., Rodriquez, E., Imber, S. D., Perel, J., Lave, J., Houck, P.R., & Coulehan, J.L. (1996). Treating major depression in primary care practice: Eight month outcome. Archives of General Psychiatry, 53: 913-920.） Stark, K., Vaughn, C., Doxey, M., & Luss, L. (1999). Depressive disorders. In R.T. Ammerman, M. Hersen, & C.G. Last (2nd Ed.), Prescriptive treatments for children and adolescents (pp.114-140). New York: Allyn & Bacon. |