Depression

Also known as Mate pāpouri and Depression disorders, Depression is extremely common in New Zealand, with 1 in 6 people experiencing it at some point during their lifetime.

• Depression can affect people at any age, from children through to older adults. Women are more likely to be diagnosed with depression than men. It’s not clear whether this is because depression affects females more, or if males are less likely to seek help.
• Symptoms range in severity, from feeling generally low to thoughts of self-harm or suicide.
• Treatments include lifestyle changes, psychological therapy and medications – often a combination of different treatments is used.
• Depression is not a sign of weakness. It’s a treatable illness.
• If you or someone you know is experiencing depression, you should seek help from your GP or healthcare professional.

The actual cause of depression is unknown as it can be triggered by different things in different people.That said, there are many factors that can contribute to depression, including:

• A history of depression or other mental illnesses in the family
• Experiencing trauma or abuse
• Dealing with a chronic illness like diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, cancer, and so on
• Going through a major life event like losing a loved one, losing a job, breaking up with a partner or having a big accident
• Old age
• Pregnancy
• Recently having a baby
• Drinking alcohol
• Using recreational drugs
• Taking some medications – e.g. hormone medications can have mood-related side-effects.

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• A persisting low mood
• Feeling hopeless
• Frequently feeling sad or tearful
• Loss of appetite or overeating
• Trouble sleeping or sleeping too much
• Feeling tired a lot
• Loss of pleasure
• A lack of interest in things that used to bring joy
• Trouble concentrating and getting tasks done
• Thoughts of self-harm or suicide (in extreme cases)

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Treatments can include:

• Talking therapy in the form of counselling or psychotherapy
• Lifestyle changes like improving sleep and diet, increasing exercise and reducing alcohol intake and usage of recreational drugs
• Medications such as antidepressants – these are usually reserved for patients with severe symptoms

Some people find that self-care techniques can also help to relieve some symptoms of depression. These include:

• Meditation
• Practicing mindfulness
• Massage
• Mirimiri massage
• Purposeful relaxation
• Journaling
• Getting out in nature
• Connecting with whānau/family and friends
• Connecting with whānau/family and friends