Depression is considered to be a growing concern, but experts believe we can stop it by helping sufferers managing the condition and by removing the stigma surrounds it. In Asian cultures alone, a lot of people rarely talk about depression due to shame or and guilt and admitting you have the condition might affect your family in a negative way.
Depression is usually portrayed negatively, said Paula Yeung, a psychologist at Chorus Counseling in Hong Kong. The media particularly linked the condition to being confined in an institution, have psychiatric symptoms or problematic behavior, as well as admission to the hospital. And according to the World Health Organization (WHO), the condition is now the leading cause of disability worldwide - and about 2.9 percent of the Hong Kong population is thought to have depression.
A lot of people are unaware those who have depression can still go to school, work, and can function normally. The condition also affects those who are successful, popular, have many friends, have happy relationships. Depression is not only for those who look sad or have suicidal thoughts - the condition can affect almost everyone, the South China Morning Post reported.
Mental health is a spectrum, ranging from healthy to compromised person and from mild to severe condition, said Angela Watkins, a counselor, and psychologist at Red Door Counseling Hong Kong. She said any of us might be experiencing mental health problems at any point in our lives.
Yeung also said depression could affect anyone, at any time. For some, they are genetically predisposed to the condition, while the condition might be triggered for others due to environmental factors such as life-changing events, personal crisis, a major illness, or death of a loved one.
Women are more likely to have depression than men as they usually go through biological and hormonal changes and are generally less satisfied with their personal lives and careers. Women also tend to experience trauma, which is a major cause of depression, since they are more likely to experience childhood or sexual abuse than men.
Depression risk also increases with age. Yeung said older people are usually dependent on others which could lower their sense of self-worth - increasing feelings of hopelessness and eventually leads to depression.
The stigma surrounding depression does not only affect the way how society views it, but it also prevents sufferers accepting and seeking help. Some might be worried they were being discriminated or socially excluded, so they chose to just keep quiet about their condition.
Watkins said sufferers felt they were a burden, so they sometimes deal with depression on their own. However, dealing with depression alone is not good since it's difficult to get through it by yourself. Hence, sufferers need professional help and social support while dealing with the condition.
The major key is to remove the stigma associated with depression, meaning we should not discriminate, shame, or judge people with the condition, and we shouldn't make them feel they are a burden in the society. It's also important to remember that you can recover from depression, Yeung said, as the condition can be managed through psychotherapy and medication or other therapies.
Lastly, we should always listen when someone opens up about feeling depressed and encourage them to seek help. Also, check out the common symptoms of depression - have lost interest in their favorite activities or they have isolated themselves socially - and talk to them and let them know you are there for them.
