Australian body attempts to address misconceptions about depression

Main Category: Mental Health
Article Date: 05 Feb 2004 - 0:00 PDT

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The Mental Health Council of Australia is calling for an education campaign to address misconceptions about depression.

A nationwide study shows many young people are at risk because the symptoms are not being detected.

About one in four young Australians can suffer from depression and most under-30-year-olds surveyed in the study say would probably turn to family and friends if they thought they may have the illness.

But the Mental Health Council's chief executive officer, Grace Groom, says 33 per cent of those surveyed dismissed the telltale signs of severe moodiness, social withdrawal and irritability as normal adolescent behaviour.

'Depression is a serious mental illness - it can in some cases lead to suicide,' she said.

'If people seek help early and [get] the young person to the doctor to get appropriate treatment then their longer term outlooks are much better.'

Almost 60 per cent of those surveyed said someone in their household had experienced depression.

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