Opening up about depression helps to beat the blues

The Mental Health Foundation yesterday launched its "Out of the Blue/Kia Marama" campaign to raise awareness of depression.

Volunteers joined foundation officials at the Hyatt Hotel in Auckland to emphasise the first step to recovery: Talk about it.

"I was a young girl sitting on my couch with no idea what was going on," 28-year-old Waitakere resident Gabby Wickliffe said. "For me it felt like the depression was holding my lips together."

Her recovery started when she asked her mother for help and joined a local iwi support group.

"The one thing that we want people to remember is that they are not alone," said Sue Turner, the foundation's acting chief executive.

The $250,000 campaign highlights the experiences of people who have suffered depression, putting the stories of volunteers like Ms Wickliffe online.

Through the website, advertisements and the distribution of postcards, the campaign will explain the symptoms of depression and provide information for people who need help.

Methods that spread the message outside traditional health settings are important, especially among Maori, said Rawiri Wharemate, Maori Advisory Group kaumatua. He said rates of depression are higher among Maori than among non-Maori.

"A lot of Maori don't go to doctors," he said. "We don't discover it until later and at that point the psychosis is on top of us."

He stressed the importance of getting help quickly. The foundation said 70 per cent to 80 per cent of people suffering from depression could recover in less than six months if they sought treatment.

The World Health Organisation has labelled depression the most common mental health problem worldwide.

Symptoms include persistent sadness, loss of pleasure in daily activities, irritability, anxiety, poor concentration and suicidal thoughts.