Included in the list of mental disorders, depression is a common psychiatric illness, which is characterized by persistent sadness and lack of interest in performing activities that were previously considered fun. Depression can affect people of all ages, from babies to the elderly. Among the most common types of the disease are major depression, bipolar, postpartum, depressive disorders induced by other substances or medications, among others. Dysthymia, for example, is a type of chronic, disabling depression that has mild to moderate symptoms of sadness, emptiness, or unhappiness.
“They all need adequate medical care because, if left untreated, these diseases can lead to suicide,” said the president of the Brazilian Psychiatric Association (ABP), Antonio Geraldo da Silva. The Yellow September campaign, held annually this month by the ABP, draws attention to depression and the dangers it can cause.
“Virtually, all cases of suicide are related to mental disorders, especially those that are not diagnosed or treated incorrectly. In this way, most fatal episodes could have been avoided with the correct information about mental health and psychiatric illnesses.”
Dr. Antonio Geraldo Silva explained that, due to its high prevalence, depression is the disease most associated with suicide. “Not only during the September Yellow campaign ®️, but every month, ABP fulfills its main mission, which is to disseminate relevant content on mental health to society, acting to raise awareness of its importance and prevention of mental illnesses”.
Risk factors
According to the expert, some risk factors can lead a person to depression. “There are several factors that can be considered triggers and impact the development of a mental illness, such as genetic causes, which we call genotype, and environmental factors, phenotypes. These are two characteristics that, when combined, determine whether or not a person will develop any type of disease.” Silva explained that the environment in which the individual is inserted and his behavior also contribute to the development of mental illnesses such as, for example, family conflicts, financial difficulties, relationship problems, the influence of the media and social networks. These situations can be potentiating factors for the emergence of a mental illness. “So this also has an impact on suicidal behavior,” said the psychiatrist.
In addition to environmental and genetic factors, the president of the ABP recalled that other factors can prevent the early diagnosis of mental illnesses and, consequently, have an impact on suicide prevention, leading to an increase in cases, such as the stigma and taboo related to the subject. “These are important aspects that negatively impact people with mental illness and suicidal behavior.” “Practically 100% of people who attempt or commit suicide have a psychiatric illness, diagnosed or not. The illnesses most related to suicide, in addition to depression, are bipolar disorder, disorders related to the use and abuse of alcohol and drugs, personality disorder and schizophrenia.
Antonio Geraldo da Silva stated that the person diagnosed with depression needs to have a support network of family or friends. “Family and friends are fundamental in seeking help and supporting treatment. Often, they are the first to realize that there is something different and point out the need to seek psychiatric help”. Depressive symptoms vary from person to person, but the most common are sadness, fatigue, sleep disturbances, weight changes, low self-esteem, loss of energy, difficulty concentrating, reduced interest in previously pleasurable activities and contact with people, suicidal ideas.
seeking help
It is always good to point out that only a doctor or healthcare professional can correctly diagnose depression. The president of the ABP pointed out that once the individual’s behavior is impaired, that is, when the symptoms begin to interfere with the person’s life, it is time to seek a psychiatrist to assess the condition. “Anxiety and sadness are normal human characteristics, but from the moment they prevent us from leaving home, working, leading an active social life, relating to other people, we must seek help”.
To help a depressed person, you should be guided to seek care, a specialized treatment for the disease. “If the person has depressive symptoms, they need and deserve to seek help from a psychiatrist, who will indicate and offer the best possible treatment”.
The doctor also recalled that depressive conditions need to be treated with care and urgency. “We cannot let the disease grow old. If the person is showing symptoms, we should help them to see a doctor to make the diagnosis, understand what kind of help they will need and start treatment immediately.”
The Vigitel Brasil survey, carried out in 2021 and published this year by the Ministry of Health, included depression for the first time. The survey showed that 11.3% of Brazilian citizens were diagnosed with the disease, which corresponds to about 23 million people, almost double the number released by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2019, which indicated the existence of 12 million Brazilians with depression. Considering that not the entire population has access to mental health services, Antonio Geraldo da Silva highlighted that many people can live with depression without knowing the diagnosis. “And this is very serious. Due to the high prevalence, depression is the disease most associated with suicide,” he reiterated. The WHO itself considers depression to be the third most disabling disease and, given the aging of the population and global changes, there are prospects that it will be the most disabling disease by 2030.
children and youth
Psychiatrist Janine Veiga said that childhood depression is similar to adult depression and that the symptoms are the same, to a greater or lesser extent. The disease can occur, for example, by genetic predisposition; for trauma arising from situations of abuse; due to conflicting family life; due to stressful events, among other reasons.
“If depression is not treated, young people can become involved with drug use, present difficulties in social relationships and there is a risk of worsening the disease, which can even lead to suicide”, he warned. Janine recommended that parents should be aware of changes in their children’s behavior, such as changes in sleep, eating patterns, irritability, drop in school performance, easy crying, discouragement, among others.
Pandemic
The psychologist at the São Francisco Xavier Foundation Gabriela Pinheiro Reis said that the consequences of the covid-19 pandemic have proved to be worrying for the mental health of the population. The 2022 World Mental Health Report, released by the WHO, revealed that in the first year of the pandemic alone, 53 million people developed depression and 76 million had anxiety, with a 28% and 26% high incidence of these disorders, respectively.
According to the WHO, suicide is the second leading cause of death among individuals aged between 15 and 29 years. “Suicide is a sensitive topic and a sad reality in society. The Yellow September campaign is of fundamental importance in raising awareness on the subject and in promoting correct information and, above all, to encourage people who are going through difficult times to seek help”, commented Gabriela.
In the psychologist’s assessment, mental illnesses need to be faced without prejudice. “It’s not freshness. Depression, bipolarity and anxiety are diseases that should be diagnosed and treated as soon as possible.”
Beloved
The campaign Bem Me Quer, Bem Me Quero: Taking care of your mental health is a daily exercise”, carried out by the Brazilian Association of Family, Friends and People with Affective Disorders (Abrata), aims to raise awareness of depression, anxiety and prevention of suicide by valuing self-care and routine balance.
For the association, some attitudes can make a difference and contribute to mental health, such as not being connected to the internet all the time, establishing schedules, avoiding excessive caffeinated drinks and opting for a balanced diet.
Abrata’s president, Marta Axthelm, drew attention to the fact that the self-demand to handle so many roles, especially in the case of women, who are professionals, mothers, partners, friends, on a daily basis, can be a trigger for depression. “It is essential to reduce access time to social networks, especially at night. In the case of depression, the condition can be very sleepy, but it has the other side, which is insomnia.”
According to Marta, depression usually presents signs that are not perceived by the patient, most of the time. In the case of suicide, those who think about taking their own life almost always give signs, but most of the people around them cannot identify them. “That’s why Yellow September is so important for debating these issues. Once again, we reinforce our role of promoting initiatives that raise awareness of self-care for mental health and that also encourage the population to look around to identify that someone close needs help”, concluded the president of Abrata. : meet
