For a long time, there have been some inaccurate views on mental and psychological illnesses. Most people believe that individuals suffering from such illnesses have “thinking problems,” and even “mental illness” has become a derogatory term, leading patients to be reluctant to seek medical help. This phenomenon is referred to as “disease shame” in the medical field.
In reality, psychological disorders arise from certain impairments in brain function. Modern medical research has proven that patients with such illnesses often exhibit abnormal imaging in different areas of the brain during brain magnetic resonance imaging and other examinations. Moreover, the occurrence of such illnesses is also related to genetic and social environmental factors. In other words, psychological disorders are essentially no different from diseases of various organs such as the heart, liver, spleen, and lungs.
Among various psychological disorders, depression is a very common illness. According to the World Health Organization, there are approximately 350 million people suffering from depression worldwide, with China possibly having over 95 million depression patients, and this number is on the rise.
Depression affects women more than men, with the highest incidence among those in their fifties and sixties, with adverse life events significantly related to the onset of depression. The main symptoms of depression include low mood, lack of interest, absence of pleasure, along with corresponding changes in thinking and behavior, such as sluggish thinking, difficulty in making connections, decreased memory, difficulty in concentrating, self-blame, and self-criticism. Severe cases may involve suicidal thoughts; patients are often silent, slow in movement, show reduced activity, are negligent in personal hygiene and eating, and have difficulty working or studying. Depression is a mental disorder but is often accompanied by many physical symptoms such as insomnia, palpitations, headaches, bloating, constipation, amenorrhea, loss of appetite, weight loss, and more. At times, this array of physical symptoms can overshadow the mental symptoms, making diagnosis difficult. Hence, senior physicians in internal medicine often caution junior doctors that when repeated examinations yield no results and treatments are ineffective in outpatient settings, it is imperative to delve into the patient’s mental state to avoid missing the possibility of depression.
Depression is treatable, with a combination of medication and psychological therapy yielding mostly positive results.
Recently, research conducted by Fudan University Huashan Hospital and researchers from the University of Cambridge on over 290,000 individuals over 13 years confirmed that a healthy lifestyle can reduce the risk of developing depression by 57%. A healthy lifestyle includes: adequate sleep, tobacco abstinence, no alcohol abuse, active participation in social activities, sufficient aerobic exercise, avoiding prolonged sitting, and maintaining a healthy diet, totaling 7 factors. The World Health Organization’s “Victoria Declaration” issued in the 1970s stated that a balanced diet, abstaining from smoking and alcohol, moderate exercise, and psychological equilibrium are the foundations of human health. Though the results from Chinese and British researchers differ slightly, they generally align with these principles. The Chinese government promotes a scientifically healthy lifestyle in the “Healthy China 2030” document, reflecting the same sentiment.
In daily life, individuals should pay attention to their mental state. Emotions such as joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness are part of being human. If experiencing persistent low mood or sadness lasting over two weeks, or if such feelings start affecting work or studies, seeking help from medical psychologists or psychiatrists should be immediate, similar to seeking a pulmonologist when feeling breathless or experiencing palpitations. (Yang Binghui)
