Understanding depression

A new report from the British Psychological Society's Division of Clinical Psychology, created with input from those with lived experience, explores why so many of us have depression and what may help. Understanding Depression suggests that depression may not always be best thought of as an illness but rather as an individual and complex human experience.

Lead author Gillian Bowden MBE, also a member of the Division of Clinical Psychology, said that given increasing inequality and the impact of Covid-19 on mental health the report felt more important than ever. 'People experience depression for different reasons. There is no one simple explanation that applies in all cases, but we do know a lot about the different things that can play a role.'

The authors argue that to tackle depression we should not wait until people are in crisis and then offer them 'treatment' in health settings, but should instead aim to build an 'antidepressant society'. This would involve addressing factors such as poverty, racism, inequality, unemployment and childhood stress and disadvantage which can lead people to become depressed.

To read the report see: tinyurl.com/y2byhcaj