Health-Ministry describes depression as 'state of low mood', receives flak
A post describing depression as "a state of low mood" on the official Twitter handle of Health Ministry was slammed by the Twitterati for "trivializing" the issue as some users termed the definition as "highly inaccurate". In a poster, the Ministry listed out activities such as following a routine, eating fruits, staying clean, going for walks, practicing yoga, taking multi-vitamins, traveling, and thinking positive.
Take a look at Health Ministry's tweet on depression
Twitter users slam Health Ministry's tweet
The Ministry's tweet invited a lot of flak from the followers with a psychiatrist tweeting, "This tweet trivializes depression and makes it feel like it isn't an illness... (sic)." A user named Aishwarya said, "This is a highly inaccurate description of depression. #LetsTalk (sic)." The users slammed the tweet for failing to mention that one should seek therapy or clinical help for treating depression.
One user asks why seeking help in depression isn't mentioned
Here's another tweet criticizing Health Ministry's post
What is depression as per WHO?
The World Health Organization defines depression as a common mental disorder, characterized by persistent sadness and a loss of interest in activities that you normally enjoy, accompanied by an inability to carry out daily activities, for at least two weeks. It says that depression is the leading cause of ill health and disability worldwide. More than 300 million people are now living with depression.
Depression is treatable with therapies, antidepressant medication
Depression is treatable with talking therapies or antidepressant medication or a combination of these. National Mental Health Survey 2015-16 reveals that nearly 15% of Indian adults need active intervention for one or more mental health issues and one in 20 Indians suffers from depression. It is estimated that in 2012, India had over 258,000 suicides, with the age-group of 15-49 years being most affected.
