Here are some facts about Depression –
* 20% of young people will have experienced significant depressive symptoms by the time they reach adulthood * At any point in time up to 5% of young people will experience depression serious enough to warrant treatment * 1 in 4 women suffer from depression * 1 in 6 men suffer from depression * Depression related suicides rates are 4 times higher in men than women * 121 million people suffer from depression (worldwide) * Untreated depression is the no 1 cause of suicide * Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death in teenagersAnd the saddest of all –
*2/3 of depression sufferers never seek treatmentI can’t help but think that the reason so many people don’t seek help is that they are scared of the stigma related to depression. So how do we get rid of an unwarranted stigma?? What part does education have to play??
Here are some sites that are doing good things for sufferers of this and other related mental illnesses.
a girl who speaks 
The sooner people who are leaders become comfortable talking about it, the sooner people hav “permission” to view it as normal. Most of our leaders who suffer from depression are actually former leaders (Kennett, Keating etc).
I am at a church where the rector not only has depresion, but is upfront and talks about it reasonably regularly. The biggest benefit is that it has helped introduce a culture of surprising honesty in that church. People are not only prepared to flag that they have health problems (physical, mental and spiritual), but they are prepared to sek the hepl of others – and to ask them to pray. It’s a culture that is surprising, refreshing, very challenging… particularly as a student minister – and as someone who is used to holding health issues close to the chest.
“The sooner people who are leaders become comfortable talking about it, the sooner people hav “permission” to view it as normal” – i couldn’t agree more
thanks for sharing :)
Another great issue. We have a bunch of people at church with various forms of depression – just as you would expect since it is such a widespread illness in modern society.
Those people that I know have all disclosed their illness due to feeling safe and loved.
Plus thanks for the TWLOHA site – that’s an excellent example of Christians being clear about who they are without letting it overtake the main issue they’re talking about.