What is Depression?
In the eyes of many, depression among people, especially within the adolescent community, can be seen as the feeling of sadness and unhappiness to preponderate over their emotional wellbeing. When having depression, the feeling of always being sad or unhappy can become uncontrollable and long-lasting, beginning to overtake feeling any type of uplifting emotions, affect the way you think, feel and act upon everyday situations. The reason as to why this occurs is due to the fact that depression is a mental health disorder. A mental health disorder, or illness, is a serious health problem which significantly affects the cognitive health component of our wellbeing. In addition, it affects the psychological thinking process of an individual, which then influences how the person feels and behaves towards a certain situation within their life. As this health component has an interlinked relationship between all the other four health components (physical, social, spiritual and emotional), once the patient is diagnosed with depression, the likely results conclude into more cases of other disorders and illnesses such as anxiety, schizophrenia, mood, personality and eating disorders.
Mental disorders such as depression are caused by complicated and yet varying reasons. The factors in which play a significant role to the diagnosis of depression to their patients include;
- -prolonged and severe stress;
- -biological conditions through hereditary genetics;
- -the abuse of drugs, alcohol and other substances;
- -cognitive and mental attitudes such as pessimistic point-of-views and low self esteem; and
- -social characteristics such as family issues, bullying, isolation, financial problems, or violence.
In saying that, depression is a mental health disorder which can be triggered after the interactions and interpretations of situational experiences. It regards the psychological thinking process, which is furthermore influenced by the wellbeing and the surrounding environment of the individual.
However, the awareness to resolve this mental disorder is not so greatly addressed to the point where it is only acknowledged and is not seen as an important matter to look upon. Yet, depression is such an understated mental disorder. Although it is recognisable, society has not been so accepting to the illness that they have not taken the initiative to address, recommend, empower or support any treatment. This furthermore concludes into many undesirable outcomes for our nation of Australia and its people. For example, from a numbers standpoint:
-1 out of 5 (20%) Australians aged 16-85 experience a mental illness in any year – depression being a contributing mental illness;- -yet, over 1 out of 4 young Australians (mid-late adolescent to youth) experience a mental illness as the prevalence of being diagnosed is high;
- -1 out of 7 Australians will experience depression in their lifetime;
- -1 out of 16 young people in Australia are currently experiencing or have experienced depression within the past 12 months;
- -1 out of 5 (20%) people have explicitly stated that they would not reveal that they were suffering from the mental disorder of depression; and
- -so, 65% of those who are currently suffering or did suffer within the past 12 months have not had access to treatment.
-1 out of 5 (20%) Australians aged 16-85 experience a mental illness in any year – depression being a contributing mental illness;