The theme for the day this year is Depression: A Global Crisis.
“Depression is the most prevalent mental health issue, which affects 4% of the general population. Approximately 160,000 young people aged between 16 to 24 also live with depression each year,” Mr Truss said.
The World Health Organisation encourages ‘open discussions of mental disorders, and investments in prevention, promotion and treatment services’.
“Tragically, six Australians take their lives everyday, which is higher than the nation’s road toll. Psychological autopsy reports have found that nearly 90% of people who end their lives may have been suffering from a mental disorder, such as depression,” Mr Truss said.
Organisations including beyondblue remind us that ‘depression is more than just feeling upset or sad. It’s a serious illness that leaves you feeling down most of the time and finding it hard to cope from day to day’.
“Mental illness is more common than people may think. Anyone who knows of a friend or colleague that could be suffering from depression should encourage them to seek help through their local GP or through organisations such as Lifeline and beyondblue.”
Organisations
Beyondblue – website: www.beyondblue.org.au - telephone: 1300 22 4636
Black Dog Institute – website: www.blackdoginstitute.org.au - telephone: 02 9382 4523
Lifeline – website: www.lifeline.org.au – telephone: 13 11 14
