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- [Narrator] Hey, everyone,
thank you for your love and continued support.
Here at Psych2Go,
our mission is to help everyone become more self-aware.
So, what is depression?
According to the World Health Organization,
depression is defined as a mental disorder
that results in a lasting sadness,
loss of interest in activities that usually bring joy,
alongside the lack of motivation to perform daily tasks.
It's also often linked with suicide and anxiety disorders.
So, is depression becoming more common?
Well, a 2017 study by Welsh
shows that there has been a 4.5% increase
in adolescents reporting having symptoms of depression.
And based on the World Health organization,
in 2019, it's also stated
that an estimate of more than 300 million people of all ages
suffer from depression.
And it's the leading cause of disability worldwide.
So without further ado,
here are the four reasons
why depression is getting more common.
One, prevalence of mental health awareness.
In the society we live in today,
mental health awareness is becoming increasingly prevalent.
Compared to 20 years ago,
the topic of mental health was far more stigmatized.
By having more awareness on mental disorders,
such as depression,
more people have started to become more self-aware.
They realized that mental disorders
are important health issues that have to be acknowledged.
As awareness increases,
it can also lead people into feeling
that depression is becoming more common.
Did you know, there is a Mental Health Awareness Day
that is on the 10th of October every year
to increase awareness of the importance of mental health.
This occasion was first observed in 1992,
founded by Deputy Secretary General, Richard Hunter
from the World Federation for Mental Health.
Two, changes in media representation.
Similar to mental health awareness,
the change in the representation of depression in the media
can also be a reason why depression is getting more common.
Media portrayal of depression today
has changed a lot as compared to the past.
There is more depression portrayed
in the media content that we consume.
Based on the Cultivation Theory mentioned by Potter,
change in the media narrative
of depression and mental health
through proper representation
opens a potential change
in attitudes and perceptions towards depression.
The role that the media plays
in raising awareness and educating
lies in its ability
to influence the people's perception of mental health.
With the media acknowledging
that mental health is becoming a health issue,
there can be a gradual acceptance of the public
through media content.
Three, broader research.
As mentioned earlier, about the increasing rates
of depression in people over the years,
mental health, as a critical issue,
will spark more research in the respective fields.
More experiments comparing between different variables
and research questions to explore
would broaden existing research
and increase the current pool of knowledge.
As research broadens further,
there will be more resources
for people to learn about mental disorders.
For example, an article by Baune,
reports of a study conducted
to research the relationship between stress and depression.
It states that an individual is likely to develop
when subjected to high levels of stress,
depression, and other illnesses.
It compares the correlation between stress
and the risk of developing depression.
So, the topic of depression may seem to become more common
because there is more research available to study,
and it's more accessible to everyone,
thanks to the internet.
And speaking of the internet,
number four, social media.
A 2019 study by Aalbers and others
examined the relationship between passive social media use,
also known as PSMU, and the symptoms of depression.
The findings showed the individuals
who spent more time passively using social media
had experienced higher levels of inferior feelings,
loneliness, hopelessness, and depressive moods.
With social media being a daily activity for most people,
what they view on social media may affect their expectations
and perceptions of certain things.
As many posts on social media
tend to focus on the positive aspects of a person's life,
viewers may start finding small comparisons
between themselves
and the person that they engage with on social media.
These small comparisons often warp the perceptions of people
into possibly feeling inferior about themselves.
These feelings of inferiority
may manifest into potential symptoms of depression.
And lastly, cyber bullying.
According to Juvonen and others,
no less than 72% of youths, aged 12 to 17 years old,
living in the US encounter cyber bullying actively.
Bullying in any aspect can have adverse effects
on a person's mental wellbeing.
In today's digital age, bullying has evolved.
For example, in a school environment,
physical bullying can be stopped
when the victim reports the bully.
However, cyber bullying has the ability
to carry on even outside of a school environment,
and is most likely anonymous.
Receiving hateful comments
can significantly harm a person's mental wellbeing.
With social media being commonly used,
it can be one of the reasons
why depression is getting more common.
Do you agree with the reasons explained in this video?
What other reasons do you think
contributed to depression being more common nowadays?
Let us know in the comments below.
And if you find this video helpful,
be sure to share it with someone
who might benefit from it too.
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And as always, thank you for watching.