How does a depression affect someone?
An estimated 1 in 5 of the population of Scotland will experience depression at some point in their lives and the World Health Organisation (WHO) predicts that depression will soon be the second biggest cause of illness world-wide. In 2004-5, 321,000 people in Scotland consulted a doctor for depression and research has shown that as many again had depression but did not present themselves for medical help. On top of the people affected personally, it also affects their friends and family, neighbours, employers. Depression will affect us all in one way or another.The exact cause of depression is not known although medical researchers have a number of ideas. For some people it can occur for no apparent reason, others can pinpoint a trigger such as a difficult life event, a bad time in their past or some sort of trauma. It appears that in some families there can be a genetic element. Whatever the cause, it is important to remember that depression is an illness as there is a lot of stigma around it and somebody may feel weak or ashamed to have depression. There is no need to - it is as much an illness as cancer or diabetes.
How does depression affect someone?
Depression varies in severity and can present itself in different forms such as postnatal depression, bipolar disorder (formerly know as ‘manic depression’) and seasonal affective disorder. In addition, experiencing depression can create specific issues for different sectors of society such as children, teenagers, men, women, ethnic minorities and older people. As this website is developed we will be looking at all these different aspects of depression.Depression affects everything in a person’s life:
