Scottish National Depression Week 2006
NEW NATIONAL CAMPAIGN TO CHANGE SCOTTISH ATTITUDES TO DEPRESSION LAUNCHED, AS STIGMA CONTINUES TO PREVENT SCOTS FROM SEEKING HELP
Campaign and website (www.dascot.org) launched to coincide with National Depression Week (17-23 April 2006)
A new national awareness-raising campaign will be launched today (Monday 17 April 2006) to attempt to change ingrained Scottish attitudes to depression – a common, generally treatable, illness which is often under-reported due to the stigma associated with it, but which can ultimately result in suicide if untreated.
The campaign, entitled ‘Mother, father …’ (‘Mother, father, brother, sister, son, daughter, lover, friend … you?’ ) has been developed by Depression Alliance Scotland (DAS) to challenge the negative perceptions about depression which exist and which continue to act as a barrier to seeking help. Ongoing feedback received from the users of DAS’s services adds to earlier DAS work which has shown that there are a number of barriers which prevent people with depression from seeking help, including –
- a lack of wider (public) awareness and understanding that depression is a medical illness
- the stigma associated with experiencing mental illness, including ingrained societal and cultural perceptions that people with depression are unable to cope or are inadequate and that depression happens to someone else
- difficulty in expressing feelings to own GP – on a face-to-face basis
- difficulty in accessing services directly (due to having to go through local GP) or in accessing services at times convenient to their lifestyle
- a need for a more balanced approach to treatment - preference for self-help approaches and desire to access psychological services (currently restricted due to national shortage of psychologists and psychiatrists) rather than only being prescribed anti-depressants
Despite the fact that depression is estimated to be very common (affecting 1 in 5 people at some point in their lives) it is often seen as “a sign of weakness”, something “which affects ‘other’ people” or something that people could not talk to their families, friends or employers about for fear of being judged. The new DAS campaign hopes to reduce the stigma and negative perceptions surrounding depression by focusing on key relationships to demonstrate that depression could affect any member of a family, a close friend or indeed the individual him/herself and at any time in life.
The ‘Mother, father …’ campaign has been launched to coincide with National Depression Week (17-23 April 2006) and at a time when the latest statistics show that depression is on the increase in Scotland with an estimated 321,000 patients consulting their GPs during the last recorded year. While more people with depression are consulting their GP, previous research has estimated that as many as 75% cases of depression go unreported, suggesting that the latest official statistics highlight only a fraction of the true extent of depression in Scotland.
DAS has also launched its new website (www.dascot.org), providing a range of information and services for people with depression, to coincide with the ‘Mother, father …’ campaign.
Ilena Day, National Co-ordinator for Depression Alliance Scotland, said,
“Depression is a very common illness, but unlike other common illnesses, such as asthma or diabetes, depression has a stigma attached to it which prevents many people with depression from seeking help. This stigma can take many forms such as being perceived as being weak or unable to cope and can make it difficult for people with depression to talk openly about their illness with their family and friends or with their employers and workmates for fear of affecting their relationships or career prospects.
“Generally speaking, depression is seen as an illness which affects ‘other people’ and is an illness that people find difficult to talk openly about, much as previous generations found it difficult to discuss cancer. The ‘Mother, father …’ campaign seeks to change this by focusing on the fact that any of us, including our families, close friends and, indeed, ourselves can become depressed, that there is nothing to be ashamed about and that there is no need to suffer in silence. People can, and do, improve their quality of life with the appropriate treatment. The first step, however, is recognising that you may be depressed and seeking help.”
*Sarah age 37, who has experienced depression, said,
"The first step to recovery is reaching out for help. The relief I found upon being taken seriously was quite profound. I was prescribed anti depressants and my GP also suggested counselling, which both surprised and pleased me. While the anti depressants lifted my mood, it was only through talking on a regular basis with a trained therapist that I managed to get closer to the root of my depression. I cannot recommend this highly enough. I also found that exercise and the support of a close family member played a huge part in my recovery. At my very lowest point, I could not conceive that getting better was a possibility, but if there is a remedy for me, there will be one for many others."
*name changed as requested by person
Douglas age 27, who has experienced depression, said,
"I have suffered from depression, off and on, for more than 10 years now, but last Autumn I had a particularly bad period which led me to give up my job and really all hope in the future. A friend of mine who knew about Depression Alliance Scotland gave me the contact details for the organisation and suggested I register to attend one of DAS’ self help groups. I did this and from January I have been going to one of the evening self help groups, something which I am pleased to say has helped me feel better about things and aided my recovery. One of the biggest benefits of the group was meeting other people who knew how I felt, knew how depression felt and what it was like. Depression can be the loneliest thing in the world and knowing that I wasn’t alone, that there were others who suffered in the same way, helped me realise I wasn’t on my own, that it wasn’t just me."
Mr Adam Ingram MSP, Chair of the Cross Party Group on Mental Health, said,
“I strongly support the ‘Mother, father …’ campaign launched by DAS. The statistics
tell us that depression is the most common reason for people seeking help from their GPs. In the past this has resulted too often in a prescription, whereas most people need to talk through what is causing their depression. They need someone to listen to them. It is important to recognise that depression is not a sign of weakness, but a condition that can affect all of us. The Scottish Executive has funded a variety of pilot projects under the Doing Well by People with Depression initiative and it is clear that there needs to be more services available in people's own communities to address their depression”.
Contact: Ilena Day on 0131 457 3050
ENDS
Symptoms of depression include feelings of hopelessness, inadequacy, self-hatred, guilt and agitation, weight loss, loss of energy or motivation, loss of sex drive and difficulty in sleeping.
Depression Alliance Scotland is an independent charity and is the only Scottish charity dedicated to improving the diagnosis and treatment of depression, challenging the stigma associated with this misunderstood illness and offering information and support to those affected by, and working with, depression. Depression Alliance Scotland receives financial support from the Scottish Executive, health board funding and charitable trusts.
Contact details: Depression Alliance Scotland, 3 Grosvenor Gardens, Edinburgh EH12 5JU
E-mail: info@dascot.org
People urgently needing to speak to someone about depression can also call the Breathing Space helpline on 0800 83 85 87 which is open from 6pm -2am each day and is manned by trained counsellors.