Understanding depression: Why we need to snap out of the stigma

Most people still see depression as a character flaw, rather than a clinical illness. - Filepic

Suicide reports affect people everywhere and the impact is widespread. Following the deaths of designer Kate Spade and chef Anthony Bourdain, suicide, suicide prevention and depression are now topics of public interest, prompting everyone to look around and see if someone they know is going through depression.

The challenge is, nobody knows who can have depression. There is a genetic link to the illness – depression is known to run in families – but it is also brought on by low serotonin levels in the brain, deterioration of physical health, and major life events such as changes in relationships or stress at the workplace.