THE RATE OF DEPRESSION IN RSA DOUBLED DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC

For centuries depression has had a firm grip over South Africa and its youth. According to the latest statistics, moderate to severe depression symptoms increased to 19.2% in November 2020.

The number of adults between the ages of 25 and 35 experiencing some form of depression has doubled during the Covid-19 pandemic, figures from the North West Department of Health have shown.

The analysis gathered found that those unable to afford unexpected expenses or who are disabled were most likely to experience some form of depression during the pandemic. Around 12% of adults said their moderate to severe depressive symptoms developed during the pandemic, while 8% said this was a continuation of depressive symptoms from before. A low 2% of the people asked, who had previously reported moderate to severe depressive symptoms before the pandemic, said they saw an improvement in their symptoms.

Most people who reported experiencing some form of depression said their wellbeing was affected by stressed or anxious because of the pandemic, and more than 43% of adults said their relationships were being affected.

"People are social animals whose mental health depends upon frequent interaction with others and with the outside world", a doctor from Tshepong Hospital said.

"Being told to stay indoors with little to no contact can be expected to cause increased rates of anxiety and depression". The doctor advised that anyone experiencing anxiety or depression should increase social contact as far as is allowed and spend time outdoors, in nature.

A lot of people suffering from depression find it difficult to deal with anxiety and panic attacks. Panic attacks are most common in people with depression symptoms. There are ways to prevent an anxiety attack. The following techniques have been used and strongly recommended by leading clinical psychologists and medical doctors.

• Breathe deeply through your nose and out through your mouth

• Slowly look around you and find;

• five things you can see

• four things you can touch

• three things you can hear

• two things you can smell

• one emotion you feel

The above techniques are known as Grounding. They can help a lot in keeping you grounded when you feel you've lost control of your surroundings and self.

There is another way people try to deal with depression; The short-term treatment with anti-depressants. This is a solution I struggle to endorse (I've had bad experiences).

There are a lot of biological side-effects of taking anti-depressants, such as; weight gain, nausea, sweating and fatigue; just to name a few. Psychological side-effects have been ignored or denied. A study, in a New-Zealand hospital, was carried out where over half of the people tested for depression, reported either suicidal feelings or feeling emotionally numb after taking some form of anti-depressant.

Another study supported the notion when neurologists and medical doctors said that psychological imbalances could not be cured by using chemicals.

"As doctors, we cannot give a full explanation of what mental illness is", one doctor said.

He went on to say, "The pharmaceutical industry generates billions of dollars annually selling anti-depressants and other anxiety-reducing tablets in the disguised form of making you feel better".

The South African government needs to put mental health issues and wellbeing at the centre of attention. There are too many people dying for them to turn a blind eye to. In conclusion, it is just as important that society learns to be kind to one another.

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