Depression – Taboo or Not Taboo?

Imperial, welcome to the OpenMinds campaign! Our aim is to increase understanding of mental health conditions and remove some of the stigma with which they are associated. 1 in 4 people suffer from a mental health condition, yet there is a severe lack of awareness and the subject is, too often, taboo. Those with a mental health condition can feel isolated and unsure of whom to turn to when, in reality, there are plenty of mental health services available. One of our objectives is to tell you about the services that Imperial provides as well as the external support on offer, that you might not have known existed. Mental health conditions include schizophrenia, anxiety, OCD, and eating disorders but depression is the most common in the UK and is the focus of our campaign. There is no single cause of depression, but triggering factors can include: money worries, personal relationships, loneliness, drug and alcohol abuse. It can also be hereditary. There are many different types of depression, all of which are very real medical conditions that require support. Uni life can be stressful for anyone. Add this to depression, and every day can be a struggle. Those who can’t cope might be told to “suck it up” or labelled as “weak”. This will only exacerbate the problem and cause people to hide their problems out of embarrassment and shame. However, it isn’t always easy on the other side of things. The lack of understanding of depression is astounding, considering how common it is. This is why we are campaigning to give you the facts on depression, and debunk some of the myths, such as “depression is not a real medical illness”. We will have frequent articles here in the Felix, such as articles by health professionals, “myth-busters” and some of your first hand experiences (send them in to the email below!), and we hope that as many of you as possible will participate in the survey we are releasing in the near future. The survey will include questions about your understanding of mental health and the services available, in order to get an idea of current attitudes towards mental health here at Imperial. In spring term we will be hosting an event with guest speakers from various mental health organisations and medical professionals. Look out for our posters around campus! Our Facebook page is the place to keep up to date with the campaign and to get involved! We want you to get involved because mental health really does affect everybody. You may suffer from a mental health condition yourself, know someone who does, or experience depression in the future. Increasing understanding and de-stigmatising depression could help you through a rough patch, or enable you to be that awesome supportive friend in someone’s time of need.

If you want to get involved with the OpenMinds campaign, email Moeko at disoff@imperial.ac.uk or find our Facebook page www.facebook.com/ICOpenMinds.