Depression is well-known yet under-reported mental health concern that is present within our society. Depression, similar to other mental health conditions, is peppered in stigma. Also, with the signs of depression seemingly both insidious and overlapping with so many other mental health concerns, it is easy to neglect the early care required to take care of depression.
How Do I Identify Signs Of Depression?
Today it is commonplace within a conversation to mention in passing that we might be feeling “depressed,” on the occasional bad day. However, being depressed is a state that affects general day-to-day functioning.
Depression, or clinically referred to as major depressive disorder, results in the significant disruption of a person’s life. A few signs to watch out for include:
- Struggle with concentrating
- Sleeplessness or excessive need to sleep
- Loss of interest in daily activities
- Excessive feelings of guilt
- Decrease in energy levels
- Increased irritability
- Feelings of hopelessness
This list is essentially longer and variable from one person to the next. In short, with depression, one might experience a persistent feeling of sadness that takes up most of the day. Additionally, with time depression can give way to thoughts of suicide or even attempts.
How Would I Go About Managing My Depression?
Ideally, to be clinically diagnosed with depression, it would be advisable to consider checking in with a psychiatrist or psychologist. Depression on its own has several different variants, which can be affected by a change in seasons, or in relation to menstruation, postpartum depression, or a cyclical phase of bipolar disorder.
It is difficult to identify depression in ourselves and it would require cues from our external environment that encourages us to receive help for depression. This can include friends or family that have hinted at changes in our behavior. Overdue projects. Inability to keep up with social commitments. Or a general loss of interest in daily tasks. All of these activities are now clouded by a sense of sadness or do not evoke a similar feeling that they once did.
To make a diagnosis, a healthcare professional will ask a series of questions and assess whether you indeed have clinical depression. Physical signs might also be reviewed, as depression can cause fatigue, backaches, joint pains, or digestive issues. Even family history and a current list of medications will be noted to see if they are contributing to depression.
Due to the stigma in which most mental health conditions are cloaked, treatment for depression can be delayed or avoided completely. Depression can be successfully treated by coupling both medications and psychotherapy. Since depression looks different to everyone, the treatment approach should be tailored accordingly. It is also important to consider the environment anyone with depression lives in, as it is a huge contributor to the progress of depression.
Why Are The Cases of Depression Increasing?
The World Health Organization estimates that about 5% of adults are currently living with depression globally. Additionally, the WHO includes that depression is a leading cause of disability worldwide. Within society, depression is viewed as a sign of weakness which is why any symptoms that are related to depression are frequently brushed aside. Within the rural areas, having a mental health disorder can worsen societal ties, which is why it is severely underdiagnosed. The burden within both the rural and urban sections might be similar, but accessibility, availability, and even affordability of management for rural mental health conditions are scarce.
Depression, while clear-cut in diagnosis, has several contributing factors that are often minimally explored. This includes current family dynamics, employment status, past trauma, family history of mental health disorders, and even societal ties. Understanding these is vital, as they are significant contributors to the progress of underlying depression.
Unforeseen circumstances, such as the current COVID19 global pandemic, have increased the burden of mental health conditions across the globe. A key facet that this pandemic exposed is that such global catastrophes tend to affect women disproportionately. This is due to the direct social and economic consequences that occur as a result. With all the household tasks, tending to children, and increased caregiving responsibilities, there was severe neglect towards managing general mental health concerns among women. Depression also increases substance use and self-inflicted injury. To tackle the depression, many might resort to methods that help provide temporary relief, feeding into a vicious cycle. This worsens the current symptoms, making treatment difficult.
While depression can still be voiced among adults, depression in children and adolescents is virtually unrecognizable. The prevalence of depression in the United States is estimated to be about 2% among preschoolers and 8% among adolescents. This number can be significantly higher across the globe, along with factoring in conditions such as the recent pandemic. Symptoms among children look very different, which can make missing the cues for depression relatively easy.
Tackling The Crisis of Depression For Our Future
Today, unfortunately, it is commonplace for a doctor to witness frequent cases of individuals struggling with their mental health. Which is also reducing the efficiency with which conditions affecting mental health are managed. There is a global scarcity of mental health professionals, which limits the progress that we make towards a mentally healthy world.
With poor identification, management, and resources, depression and other mental health conditions are slowly becoming a public health crisis. Overall it affects communities at large, as individuals are not functioning at their optimum. To move forward we need to invest in building the infrastructure to manage the global mental health burden, which is only growing daily. Invest in medical professional training, as well as a diversity in the treatment options that are available for managing mental health conditions such as depression. A crucial aspect is also uncloaking the vast stigma that mental health is currently wrapped in.
Huge sections of society refrain from seeking professional help because they lack anonymity, and also face social isolation for having a mental health condition. Normalizing living with a mental health condition helps to improve the attention all mental health concerns receive. It also creates a more optimistic outlook for the future of mental health.