What is depression in Indian Society?

1. INDIAN SOCIETY
AND ITS ATTITUDE
TOWARDS DEPRESSION
BY TAMANNA BHATTACHARJEE
BBA 1ST YEAR.

3. • According to the World Health Organization –WHO “Depression is a
common mental disorder that presents with depressed mood, loss of
interest or pleasure, feelings of guilt or low self-worth, disturbed sleep
or appetite, low energy and poor concentration”.
• The Oxford English Dictionary defines depression as “ A mental
condition characterized by several feelings of hopelessness and
inadequacy, typically accompanied by a lack of energy and interest in
life.”
WHAT IS DEPRESSION ??

4. Depression affects all people regardless of age, geographic
location, demographic or social position. Here are a few group
of people who are mostly affected by it:
1. TEENAGERS
2. ADULT WOMEN
3. ADULT MEN
4. COLLEGE STUDENTS
5. SEXUALLYABUSED VICTIMS
MAIN VICTIMS OF DEPRESSION

5. Teenage depression is a serious medical problem prevailing in today’s world.
THE MAIN REASONS FOR TEENAGE DEPRESSION:
1. TEENAGERS
1. ACADEMIC STRESS
2. PHYSICAL APPEARANCE
3. TRAUMATIC EVENTS
4. EMOTIONAL NEGLECT
5. PEER PRESSURE

6. Women’s bodies respond to stress differently than men’s. They pour out higher level of
stress hormones, and they fail to shut off production of the stress hormones readily.
That’s the reason why nearly twice as many women as men suffer from major
depressive disorders. One of the most common type of depression among women’s is
the POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION.
• Postpartum depression ranges in severity from mild to suicidal.
• 80% of postpartum women’s suffer from the “Baby Blues” a mild form of
moodiness.
2.ADULT WOMEN

7. Men do not typically arrive at their doctors’ offices talking about feeling sad or
depressed. In fact, they will rarely mention any emotional difficulties to their doctors at
all. Yet, if they do happen to disclose any problems, they tend to describe problems at
work including diminished job performance or difficulty functioning. Generally, men
seem to talk about their emotional problems in terms of “stress” rather than sadness or
feeling down. There are a lot of reasons for depression among men-
• JOB & CARRIER
• FAMILY RESPONSIBILITES
3. ADULT MEN

8. Depression is the biggest risk factor for suicidal youth. Other risk factors include:
• substance abuse
• career tension
• stressful life events
• access to drugs
Experts say stress, expectations, and social media are putting more stress on today’s
college students.
4. COLLEGE STUDENT

9. India reports one of the highest numbers of student suicides in this world due to exam pressure. Any student preparing for
any competitive exam in India, be it JEE, NEET or UPSC will reveal that the major source of mental distress among the
students is the debilitating amount of pressure that is put on them by almost any and every one in their lives. During the
term of those few years that we students set aside to prepare for a competitive examination, every teacher, every relative
and every random aunty or uncle passing on the street iterate and reiterate the importance of studying hard and getting
admission into a good college. This brings up the question of what can be done to ease the pressure off students’ minds.
SUICIDE AND COLLEGE STUDENTS

10. Sexual violence is shockingly common in our society. According to the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 1 in 5 women are raped or sexually
assaulted at some point in their lives, often by someone they know and trust. And
sexual assault isn’t limited to women; many men and boys suffer sexual trauma each
year. Regardless of age or gender, the impact of sexual violence goes far beyond any
physical injuries. The trauma of being raped or sexually assaulted can be shattering,
leaving you feeling scared, ashamed, and alone or plagued by nightmares, flashbacks,
and other unpleasant memories. The world doesn’t feel like a safe place anymore.
5. SEXUALLY ABBUSED VICTIMS

11. India's attitude towards depression and mental health can be characterized by following
attributes-
It is taboo to talk about mental health or depression in India. If you are able to conceal your
emotions, you are considered mature by the society. Emotional development is the most
neglected subject at our schools and homes. While teachers are busy in raising academic
standards of children, parents are busy earning for it and the cycle goes on, the mental
problems remains intact in mind.
INDIAN SOCIETY AND ITS POV TOWARDS
DEPRESSION
1. DENIAL
2. STIGMA
3. NEGLECT

12. A major culprit for this is our education system, where emotional development finds no
place. Even a near subject like moral science or value education, is crammed by the
students, without getting the lessons of life.
After Class 8th, its just the race to reach the top notches of society. It doesn’t matter
how content and satisfied you are with your life, what matters more is your marks,
competitive exams you beat and huge packages you earn after college. Education in
India teaches 'to keep quite and cram facts' rather than 'speaking up the truth and get
relaxed’.
CONCLUSION