However, it has been observed that in our country, some individuals utterly disregard depression as an ailment one imposes on himself, consequently associating depression with a stigma and labeling the victim as a disgrace to the fabric of society.....
COVER STORY
According to the Mayo Clinic, an acclaimed and reputed public health institute catering to the evolving physical and mental ailments of millions of sapiens, depression refers to a condition that is characterized by “a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest” that possesses sufficient potency to severely hamper the day-to-day operations undertaken by humans. For the past few decades, global bodies and regulators have keenly monitored the elevating trend of depression and the myriad of physical and psychological disorders it births. However, it has been observed that in our country, some individuals utterly disregard depression as an ailment one imposes on himself, consequently associating depression with a stigma and labeling the victim as a disgrace to the fabric of society.
The rising tide of infliction of depression among millions of people hailing from diversified regions, races, caste, color, and creeds prompted global regulatory bodies to raise the alarm and encourage people to avail clinical treatments. As per the World Health Organization (WHO) – a global public health watchdog operating under the ambit of the United Nations, aimed at the task of plugging the craters that exist across the public health sector – 3.8 percent of the global population – around 280 million people – is reeling from the haunting effects of depression. As per credible reports, depression runs rampant among the female segment of society, and women are more prone to depression as compared to their male counterparts. Astounding as it may sound, depression can uproot the lives of millions of teenagers; it can manifest in the form of a more severe action that upon being undertaken by a victim can lead to his/her demise. Currently, as per the studies carried out by the WHO, suicide is the second leading cause of death among teenagers, trailing behind accidents.
South East Asia is a region that has become synonymous with the dreaded phenomenon of suicide, and women here are more susceptible to suicide due to their socioeconomic status in the heavily male-dominated patriarchal society. The same report quoted above unearthed the fact that 79 percent of individuals committing suicide were poverty-stricken, with the female class of the society again showcasing a sky-high suicide rate.
While bearing the above quoted data in mind, one becomes accustomed to the relationship displayed by various segments of the society against suicide. Suicide is an aggressive byproduct of multiple episodes of severe depression that one endures for a prolonged period of time before succumbing to self-injury mortality. Gauging the influence of depression by studying the self-injury mortality rate is a viable approach; as per a Forbes report, a large population of patients suffering from depression seldom seek professional medical assistance and refuse to report their decaying mental health status.
The emergence and evolution of depression among the youth is on the rise. As per a report, 3.7 million school-bound adolescents admitted to being victims of depression in the U.S. alone. The National Institute of Mental Health raised alarm bells by publishing a research paper that deemed the youth more vulnerable to depression. The fact that depression is a hereditary-based illness to one extent or another exacerbates the pre-existing mental health ailments of a young person. Though depression is considered to be a hereditary ailment, its effects are only triggered within an offspring of an affected individual upon being exposed to external and internal insecurities, that is, traumatic childhood or abuse.
Currently, 64 percent of Pakistan’s population is represented by the youth that is undoubtedly suffering from poor economic and academic opportunities coupled with dogmas that are a hallmark of the South Asian culture. While numerous developed nations across the globe capitalize upon the skills offered by their youth, lawmakers of Pakistan continue to deny its youth access to uninterrupted and hassle-free services and rights. The youth of Pakistan is a time-bomb waiting to explode as the majority of members hailing from this specific demographic group are dismayed and disgruntled due to the availability of sub-par services and the attitude of their parents and kin regarding mental health issues.
While no studies have been carried out by competent and concerned authorities in Pakistan to investigate the effects of depression among the population of 224 million and to ascertain the percentage of the population affected by manifold psychological disorders, some studies conducted by independent analysts and scholars are available. According to a study that spanned over a time frame of four months and aimed to monitor the frequency of depressed students enrolled at prestigious higher educational institutes spread over the four provinces of Pakistan, 85 percent of test subjects admitted to being depressed.
Another study, conducted by Muneeba Shakel, a scholar based at COMSATS University, aimed to quantify the overall dire situation of depressed students who resorted to self-immolation in order to alleviate their academic stress and suffering. The researcher toiled over the available data of over a period of seven years and distributed the suicide cases into diversified groups. The suicide rate among high schoolers, according to her data, was 43 percent, while the suicide rate among college and university-bound students correlated to a figure of 23.5 percent and 22.1 percent respectively. The very high suicide rate among high schoolers truly deserves to be noted by the concerned government bodies, and necessary action should be taken to prevent loss of invaluable life. The major driving force behind the self-injury mortality procedure undertaken by the students was simply the inability to attain an impressive score in examination and consequently attracting the ire and wrath of mentors and parents. The author admits that the figures stated in the report are grossly under-reported as apprising the authorities concerned about the cause behind the demise of a suicide victim is considered taboo in our society. As a result, this study is just the tip of the iceberg and much remains unexplored when it comes to zeroing in on causes that spur suicidal tendencies and thoughts among the youth.
In order to investigate the extrinsic and intrinsic factors that spark depression among the youth and to supplement the available studies, the scribe embarked upon a treacherous process to initiate a public mental health survey. The study participants received an anonymous Google form and they were requested to fill it out. The questionnaire comprised of queries that could ultimately unravel the enigmatic nature of depression and its sources.
46.2 percent of subjects admitted that they have been suffering from recurring episodes of depression while the remaining 53.8 percent denied being actively suffering from depression. 40 percent of the test subjects claimed that academic stress is a primary source of depression, 40 percent attributed the source of depression to family conflicts and hostilities.
The remaining 20 percent refused to answer the question. 35.7 percent of the test subjects confided that they sought expert assistance from certified psychologists and counselors while 64.3 percent claimed that they never paid a visit to a clinic catering to the requirements of mentally overwhelmed individuals. 28.6 percent of subjects disclosed that they opted for over-the-counter remedies, like tranquilizers, antidepressants, etcetera, in a bid to suppress the daunting effects of depression while the remaining 71.4 percent of subjects played by the book and negated the query. A petty figure of 7.1 percent confessed to experimenting with self-explored remedies widely available on the Internet with the intent of striking and pinning down depression. When inquired about the approach employed in the aftermath of a traumatic experience, 44.4 percent people replied that they tend to switch off their emotions and deal with the experience with apathy. 11 percent of subjects deal with the traumatic situation by maintaining their stature, while 22.2 of subjects are prompted to delve deeper into the infamous existential crisis. 50 percent of the subjects felt at relative ease while discussing the prospects of their deteriorating mental health status with their loved ones and mentors while the remaining 50 percent of the participants opted to remain stoic.
It is quite obvious that a trust deficit exists between the older and subsequent younger generations of society as parents and mentors to some extent fail to comprehend the evolving challenges of the 21st century that have gripped the youth of the country. It is quite evident from the survey that mental health is a challenge of the 21st century and a major proportion of our youth has fallen prey to this dreaded ailment.
Depression has roots that can be traced to a variety of issues, like academic stress, parental infightings, and disputes, and the overall toxic culture that is associated with a specific demography that tends to foster the effects of the above-stated ailment. In Pakistan, the culture of confidentiality and the disinclination of victims of depression to try their luck with conventional treatments compounds the problem of overall mental health stability. The preconceived notion of “what will people say” if one intends to seek assistance from professionals deters an individual from reaching out to experts.
The so-called intimate culture of South Asia that was once reckoned to provide a soothing respite to a member of kin in distress is becoming strained and polluted with toxicity that in turn has a detrimental effect on the mental health of an individual. The general aptitude of far-off distant members of kin and mentors to compare a struggling teenager to an exceptionally bright and successful counterpart further aggravates the overall scenario. Academic stress has also to be weighed in order to comprehend the rising trend of depression among young people. Currently, Pakistan’s educational system encourages hyper-competition that in turn deters creativity and ingenuity with impunity.
Specially gifted pupils who display an interest in non-conventional subjects are scrubbed and reprimanded by mentors and guardians alike for struggling in STEM-related subjects.
Each one of us possesses inherent god-gifted capabilities that may seem absurd and inferior to others, but, in fact, we seek refuge by indulging ourselves in acts associated with these much-coveted skills in order to battle depression and anxiety.
To the young people suffering from depression, I would like to say that you are not alone. Waging war against depression seems like an uphill and insurmountable endeavor but the mission is attainable if one is surrounded by trusted family members and friends who stand by the depressed individual through thick and thin. I would like to conclude this article via a quote attributed to Will Smith: “Sometimes you have to forget what’s gone, appreciate what still remains, and look forward to what’s coming next.”
