Beijing's great depression

It left a bitter taste in the mouth of Beijingers last week when the director of the Child Psychology Department at Anding Hospital announced that the rate of depression in children seemed to be getting higher. The statement was prompted by the suicide of a college student in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, the preceding Sunday.

According to the World Health Organization, depression affects around 121 million people worldwide. It's thought that around 850,000 of those, believed to be the worse cases, lead to suicide. Depression is normally rarer in children than adults, and the risk of suicide is a lot lower, even without medication and treatment, which makes the latest announcement more than a little worrying.

China diagnosed

Prior to 1949, there were no mental health institutions in China, which may account for the changes in statistics, as both diagnosis and treatment methods have improved. Over the last 50 years, the official suicide rate in China has grown by around 60 percent, Xinhua announced in a report last year. In September the country was thought to have one of the 10 highest rates of suicide in the world.

Thanks to the lack of institutions, it's difficult to pinpoint exactly how many of the victims of suicide would have been suffering from a mental illness. A past study by the American Psychiatric Association indicated that around 60 percent of people who commit suicide are suffering from some kind of mental or mood disorder, so it seems only likely that many of China's suicides have depression at the core.

Depression is perhaps the most common mental illness in the world today. It can affect anyone at any time, although those with a family history of the illness are thought to be a little more predisposed. While the increase in recorded incidences of depression is partly due to advances in psychology and psychiatry, a change in the general lifestyle of humanity is thought to also contribute. People work much more mentally demanding jobs, they often find themselves in high-pressure situations and there has been a general decline in dietary habits.

Mental health institutions may have been set up as early as 1949 in China. However, in 2007 it was thought that 90 percent of China's depression sufferers were still getting on with their lives undiagnosed and untreated. The absence of general practitioners in the Chinese medical system able to diagnose such a problem and a lack of general awareness in the public have further contributed to the issue.

Warning signs

Clinical depression, as opposed to very natural temporary periods of feeling down, can manifest in different ways. In its mildest state it can represent a generally pervasive low mood or lack of concentration.

It's normal to get a little depressed during times of stress, although if not dealt with properly it can manifest into something darker. In some cases, it can affect sleep patterns, cause an individual to withdraw from their friends and family, prevent people from enjoying their normal everyday activities and cause agitation, anxiety and irritability.

Meanwhile, the more constant symptom of depression clouds the way people see the world. Sufferers of depression normally describe it as a fog or a haze, where negative thinking and a constant feeling of worthlessness pervade every part of their lives.

It left a bitter taste in the mouth of Beijingers last week when the director of the Child Psychology Department at Anding Hospital announced that the rate of depression in children seemed to be getting higher. The statement was prompted by the suicide of a college student in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, the preceding Sunday.

According to the World Health Organization, depression affects around 121 million people worldwide. It's thought that around 850,000 of those, believed to be the worse cases, lead to suicide. Depression is normally rarer in children than adults, and the risk of suicide is a lot lower, even without medication and treatment, which makes the latest announcement more than a little worrying.

China diagnosed

Prior to 1949, there were no mental health institutions in China, which may account for the changes in statistics, as both diagnosis and treatment methods have improved. Over the last 50 years, the official suicide rate in China has grown by around 60 percent, Xinhua announced in a report last year. In September the country was thought to have one of the 10 highest rates of suicide in the world.

Thanks to the lack of institutions, it's difficult to pinpoint exactly how many of the victims of suicide would have been suffering from a mental illness. A past study by the American Psychiatric Association indicated that around 60 percent of people who commit suicide are suffering from some kind of mental or mood disorder, so it seems only likely that many of China's suicides have depression at the core.

Depression is perhaps the most common mental illness in the world today. It can affect anyone at any time, although those with a family history of the illness are thought to be a little more predisposed. While the increase in recorded incidences of depression is partly due to advances in psychology and psychiatry, a change in the general lifestyle of humanity is thought to also contribute. People work much more mentally demanding jobs, they often find themselves in high-pressure situations and there has been a general decline in dietary habits.

Mental health institutions may have been set up as early as 1949 in China. However, in 2007 it was thought that 90 percent of China's depression sufferers were still getting on with their lives undiagnosed and untreated. The absence of general practitioners in the Chinese medical system able to diagnose such a problem and a lack of general awareness in the public have further contributed to the issue.

Warning signs

Clinical depression, as opposed to very natural temporary periods of feeling down, can manifest in different ways. In its mildest state it can represent a generally pervasive low mood or lack of concentration.

It's normal to get a little depressed during times of stress, although if not dealt with properly it can manifest into something darker. In some cases, it can affect sleep patterns, cause an individual to withdraw from their friends and family, prevent people from enjoying their normal everyday activities and cause agitation, anxiety and irritability.

Meanwhile, the more constant symptom of depression clouds the way people see the world. Sufferers of depression normally describe it as a fog or a haze, where negative thinking and a constant feeling of worthlessness pervade every part of their lives.

Often to deal with the sensation, depressives tend to turn to short, sharp bursts of artificially created cheer, most commonly in the form of alcohol, drugs or food.

When an individual is diagnosed with depression, doctors encourage them not to dwell too much on the cause, but rather focus on keeping a steady, healthy routine. A regular routine is normally one of the first things to go when people start suffering from depression.

In treatment

Mild depression may require some minor adjustments to a person's everyday life, such as a little extra exercise, a healthier diet or some basic cognitive behavioral therapy (constructive talking exercises). Prescribed medications are always an option, although the dietary supplement St John's Wort is also thought to treat the symptoms of mild depression.

For more extreme cases, there is a variety of medication commonly used on the market. SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors) such as Fluoxetin (Prozac) are probably the most commonly prescribed.

Antidepressants have been a hotly contested topic over the years, and the effectiveness of the medication is frequently called into question. People can experience many negative side effects and a possibility of withdrawal afterwards. Nevertheless, there's a widely held opinion that they do help those in need. The general saying amongst sufferers when it comes to antidepressants is that when taking them, it gets worse before it gets better, but it does get better in the end.

There are other therapies available, including potential treatments involving acupuncture, and various other more alternative medicines. In the most extreme cases electroconvulsive therapy might be considered as a treatment, which many sufferers believe to be effective.

Places to go

Resources are tight when it comes to aid in Beijing. There are three major hospitals that handle psychiatric patients: Huilongguang, Anding Hospital and the hospital attached to Peking University. Each has capacity for inpatients and outpatients, although advances are still being made to treatments.

If you're a foreign resident in Beijing and believe you're suffering from depression or another psychiatric problem, many of the hospitals that cater to foreigners have their own staff onboard for treatment. There are also some freelance psychiatrists operating in Beijing, whose details can be found on listings and message boards, but we can't vouch for authenticity.

Resources

For more information and resources check out:

www.nhs.uk/conditions/depression

www.webmd.com/depression