Lecture delivered at the Adebimpe Youth Alive Care Foundation Convergence 2019 (Mental Health Literacy Bootcamp).
An attempt at demystifying the concept of mental health disorder with emphasis on depression.
2. Universal?
• “Depression is the inability to construct a future.” -Rollo May
• “Perhaps depression is caused by asking oneself too many
unanswerable questions.” -Miriam Toews
• Depression can be an isolating illness.
• Despite progress in knowledge, stigma reduction, and treatment
options, it is not uncommon for someone struggling with
depression—or that person’s family and friends—to feel alone.
3. What do we know?
• Depression has become an epidemic amongst the teen and youth
population. Some of its prevalence can be blamed on hormonal
changes as a teens and youths mature. However, a primary trigger
for depression in teenagers is sadness felt as a result of struggling
to get to know one's self and new intense feelings which are being
felt for the first time.
Source: https://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poems/teen/depression
/
4. What do we know cont’d
• The constant struggle to find ones self in contemporary times is
deeply rooted in the different advancement human society has
experienced, such as; social, political, economical and
technological sophistication.
• Depression has a stronghold on humanity. It spans across every
aspect, hence its traditional/new tools (new media,
performances, class structures, etc.).
• We all know and agree that depression is a topical issue that
should headline policy and advocacy but why still trivialize it
among our circles?
5. What is Depression?
• Depression is a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of
sadness and loss of interest. it affects how you feel, think and
behave and can lead to a variety of emotional and physical
problems.
• It is important to note that depression isn’t just a weakness and
you can not just snap out of it. It may require a long term
treatment, ranging from prescribed medication to psychotherapy.
6. General Symptoms may include
• social withdrawal,
• sadness, emptiness,
• hopelessness, irritation,
• sleep disturbances,
• loss of interest and pleasure,
• reduced appetite or increased cravings,
• weariness, feeling of guilt, worthlessness, fixation on past failures
or self bame
• Anxiety, agitation or restlessness.
• Frequent or recurrent thoughts of death, suicidal thoughts,
attempts or suicide itself.
7. Depression in Teens and Older Adults
• Teens: sadness, irritability, clinginess, worry, aches and pains,
refusing to go to school, or being underweight.
• In teens, symptoms may include sadness, irritability, feeling
negative and worthless, anger, poor performance or poor
attendance at school, feeling misunderstood and extremely
sensitive, using recreational drugs or alcohol, eating or sleeping
too much, self-harm, loss of interest in normal activities, and
avoidance of social interaction. (Source: Mayo Clinic).
8. Depression in Teens and Older Adults (Cont’d)
• There is a popular misconception that depression is part of growing old.
It goes undiagnosed and untreated in older adult because of the
reluctance to seek help (Social stigma, neglect, social withdrawal, etc.)
• Memory difficulties or personality changes
• Physical aches or pain
• Fatigue, loss of appetite, sleep problems or loss of interest in sex — not
caused by a medical condition or medication
• Often wanting to stay at home, rather than going out to socialize or doing
new things
• Suicidal thinking or feelings, especially in older men (Source: Mayo
Clinic).
9. Causes and Complications
• Against the popular belief that depression is evenly distributed, research has
shown that people with depression appear to have physical changes in their
brains.
• Changes in the function of neurotransmitters (occurring brain chemicals that
likely play a role in depression). Changes in the interaction of neurotransmitters
and how they interact with neurocircuits involved in maintaining mood stability.
• Hormonal Changes: postpartum (after delivery), menopause (in women,),
andropause (in men, its age related changes in male hormone levels).
• Hereditary
• These are mostly biological, which houses the physical and societal causes
10. Causes and Complications
• Denial is the enemy and it only get worse if help is not sought.
• Complications may include: Excessive weight gain/loss, may lead
to heart disease and diabetes; pain or physical illness; abuse of
alcohol and other antidepressant; social withdrawal; panic; self-
mutilation; suicide; etc.
11. Some questions?
• What is social stigma around mental illness?
• Is school the reason for increasing rate of depression among teens and
youths?
• In 2016, approx. 60% of teens who suffered major depressive episodes
did not receive treatment of any kind in the US. (Do we have accurate
data to report the number of Nigerians suffering from depression?)
• Are there working mechanisms aimed at curbing depressive episodes in
schools?
• What roles are new technologies and human evolution playing? (emphasis
on social media)
12. Way Forward?
• Stress Control (identify key stressors, control them to increase your
resilience and boost your self esteem).
• Sharing is therapeutic and helpful.
• Get treatment (quit the habit of trivializing depression)
• Say no to bullying, victimization and other forms of abuse of any kind
(parents, teachers and other leaders, please note that there is a thin line
between abuse and discipline).
• Get acquainted with existing mechanisms in schools, work and other
social institutions to prevent victimization of you and others.
• Awareness (like we are doing here today): function of the general public;
professional, NGOs and Civil societies and Government.
13. Conclusion
• Humans are the most intelligent creatures and are designed to
beat every test and challenges, hence the preparedness
embedded in humans to identify, prevent or combat depression
and other forms of mental illness.
• Pay attention to your mental health as much as you pay attention
to your physical health.
• Depression is preventable and in situations where it is stablished,
it is never a death sentence.
