Depression is defined as a sad mood lasting continuously for 2weeks. It affect all ages, sexes and races. Depression affect over 300million people globally. 1 in 5 Nigerians suffers depression. 80% of the affected people are not on treatment and women are two times more affected than men.

1. DEPRESSION
BY
DR PAUL JESUYAJOLU MBBS,DFM,PGD THEOLOGY
“Casting all your care upon him; for he cares for you ” 1Pet. 5:7

2. QUESTIONS WE NEED TO
FIND ANSWERS TO TODAY.
1. WHAT IS DEPRESSION?
2. WHO SUFFERS DEPRESSION?
3. WHAT CAUSES DEPRESSION?
4. ALARMING STATISTICS OF DEPRESSION
4. RECORGNISING A DEPPRESSED PERSON.
5. TREATMENT MOALITIES FOR MHDs
6. THE ROLL OF THE CHURCH IN COMBACTING
DEPRESSION.

3. WHAT IS DEPRESSION?
 DEFINITION: A DPRESSED MOOD/SADNESS ON A DAILY
BASIS LASTING FOR MINIMUM OF 2WEEKS.
 “DE-PRESSING” OF A PERSON’S PASSION 4 LIVING
 IT IS A MENTAL HEALTH DISORDER(MHD).
 A DISEASE OF THE MOOD/AFFECT OR MIND.
 IT WAS LOW IN NIGERIA UNTIL RECENTLY WHEN A MED.
DOC. JUMPED INTO THE LAGOS LAGOON & died
 IT HAS SINCE ASSUMED AN ALERMING DIMENSION(Nig)

4. ANATOMY OF THE
MIND(AMYGDALA)

5. THE SEAT OF THE MIND

6. OTHER SIGNS OF
MAJOR DEPRESSION
Low interest in all things that otherwise gives the
sufferer pleasure.
Weight loss or gain of more than 5% body
weight/month without explanation
Reduce/increase appetite on a daily basis
Easy fatigability
Poor concentration/Indecisiveness/low attention
span.

7. OTHERS…CONTINUE
INSOMNIA/HYPERSOMNIA
FEELING OF HOPELESSNESS/WORTHLESSNESS
LOW SELF ESTEEM
RECURRING THOUGHT OF DEATH
SUICIDAL IDEATION/ ACTUAL SUICIDE ATTEMPTS
ANXIOUSNESS/FEAR/PANIC
HALLUCINATIONS & DELUSION

8. WHO SUFFERS
DEPRESSION?
IT AFFECT OVER 300MILLION PEOPLE GLOBALLY
IT AFFECT PEOPLE OF ALL AGES, FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE AND IN
ALL COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD.
1 IN EVERY 5 NIGERIANS SUFFERS DEPRESSION.
IT IS NOW THE 2ND LEADING CAUSE OF MOTALITY AMONG 15 –
29YEARS OLD
MOST HAVE LINKS TO POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDERS
50% OF ALL MENTAL ILLNESSES BEGINGS BY AGE 14 & 75% BY AGE
24
WOMEN ARE TWICE MORE LIKELY AFFECTED THAN MEN

9. EPIDEMIOLOGY OF
DEPRESSION
>300M PPL SUFFERS DEPRESSION GLOBALLY
> 80% OF SUFFERERS ARE NOT ON TREATMENT
STATISTICS OF DEPRESSION ^ BY 30% YEARLY
BY 2013 >42,000 SUICIDES WERE RECORDED
BY 2013 DEPRESSION BECOMES THE 10TH LEADING CAUSE OF
DEATH IN THE US ALONE
NOW THE 2nd LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH IN AGES 15-29YEARS
WORLWIDE
BY 2013 ONE PERSON DIES BY SUICIDE EVERY 12.8MINUTES.

10. WHAT CAUSES
DEPRESSION?
CAUSE NOT REALLY KNOWN/IDIOPATHIC
ALL KNOWN STRESSORS IMPLICATED:
1. VIOLENCE, RAPE, UNEMPLOYMENT
2. WARS, BOKO HARAM, BEREAVEMENT, CHILD ABUSED
3. DYSFUNTIONAL FAMILY, BULLYING, RACISM
4. FAILED RELATIONSHIP, DIVORCE
FAILED EXPECTATIONS
NATURAL DISASTERS-FLOODING, EARTH QUAKES ETC

11. CHALLENGING FACTORS
to diagnoses & Rx.
MISSED/UNDER DIAGNOSES BY HEALTH EXPERTS
STIGMATISATION AS BEING “WEAK” BY THE SOCIETY and
THE CHURCH
SHORTAGE OF TRAINED EXPERT
POOR HEALTH PROVISION BY GOVERNMENT
Rx IS A SLOW PROCESS, LOW COMPLIANCE & RELAPSE
RATE IS HIGH.
TRADITIONAL FAMILY TIES HAS REDUCED & COMMUNITY
SUPPORT SYTEM IS NO LONGER PRACTICED.

12. WHAT TO LOOK OUT
FOR
Depressed person rarely know about their own state.
Because of societal stigma: they rarely want to be
identified
Society often judge them as being too “weak”
A good observer may notice gradual loss of interest,
sleeplessness, poor appetite, job loss, agitation,
social impairment and morbid preoccupation
There could be a clear family history of depression

13. RX MODALITIES 4 MANAGING
DEPRESSION
THE CHURCH
THE FAMILY
COMMUNITY
ORTHODOX/MEDICAL/EXPERTS

14. WHAT THE CHURCH
NEED TO KNOW
DEPRESSION IS NOT A SIN BUT CAN LEAD TO IT
IT IS NOT A SIN TO BE SICK
DEPRESSION IS A LIFE-THREATENING SICKNESS
DEPRESSED PERSON SEATS NEXT TO YOU IN THE CHURCHE pews
THE CHURCH IS NOT WELL EQUIPED TO HANDDLE A MAJOR
MENTAL HEALTH DISORDER(major depression)
THERE ARE MANY OTHER MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS SUCH AS
ANXIETY/PANIC DISORDERS, OBSESSION, SCHIZOPHRENIAS,
EATING DISORDER, BIPOLAR DISORDER, ADDICTION/SUBSTANCE
ABUSE, PTSD ETC

15. CHURCH’S Rx
MODALITIES
TO BE SENSITIVE/ON THE LOOKOUT
AWARENESS CAMPAIGN & EDUCATION
COUNSELLING THAT GIVE ROOM FOR FRANKNESS & OPENNESS
TALKING/ EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
REFERRAL TO THE HOSPITAL AT THE EARLIEST POSSIBLE TIME.
BE LESS CRITICAL OF PPL WITH MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS
BE SLOW TO CONDEMN PPL AS BEING DEMONISED/DEMONIC
DEPRESSION IS NOT DUE TO SIN AND SHOULD NOT BE SEEN AS SUCH.
THE CHURCH CAN ENGAGE EXPERTS PERIODICALLY TO TALK TO CONGREGATION

16. CONCLUSION
• Determinants of mental health and mental disorders
include not only individual attributes such as the ability
to manage one’s thoughts, emotions, behaviour and
interactions with others:
• But also social, cultural, economic, political and
environmental factors such as national policies, social
protection, living standards, working conditions, and
community social supports.
• Exposure to adversity at a young age is an established
preventable risk factor for mental health disorders.

17. THAT IS….