Depression is “a common and serious medical illness that negatively affects how you feel, the way you think and how you act”, the America Psychiatric Association has stated. Around “1 in 4 people in the UK will experience a mental health problem each year”, according to Mind for Better Mental Health. However, this major depressive disorder is often confused with sadness, especially among young people.
So, we went around and asked a few young people what they think depression is and what should be done about it. Please watch the video to see what they said.
Many of them associated depression with loneliness. However, depression is not just that. Feeling lonely is only one of the symptoms, according to the NHS, others could be continuous sadness, anxiety, loss of interest, and suicidal thoughts.
Sadness is a feeling everyone experiences at some point in their lives. A person might feel sad for different reasons for a certain period – usually not more than a few days. Also, for the most part, a person feeling sad would still carry with daily activities such as studying, working and housework. On the contrary, a depressed person is not able to carry on with daily activities. Also, to be diagnosed with depression, the person in question is likely to feel sad continuously for more than six months.
When we asked what people should do when feeling sad, most of our respondents said it would be a good idea to talk to others around you. Again, this is one among many things people should do to cure depression, but, in most cases, it is simply not enough. If depression is what it is, then medication and therapy will almost certainly be necessary.
So, sadness and depression are two separate things. Neither one should be underestimated; nor should we get them confused.
Video produced by Marta Cerda and Francesca Battaglia
