THE '22 TIMES

Feeling sad or anxious at certain times is a normal part of life. However when these feelings persist for more than two weeks, disrupting an individual’s relationships and daily routine, they could be considered as symptoms of depression (Pietrangelo et al., 2017). According to the World Health Organisation, about 300 million people around the world have depression (WHO, 2018). It is also estimated that 15% of the adult population will experience depression at some point in their life (Morin, 2019). These statistics therefore make depression one of the most common problems faced by populations worldwide. There are a lot of negative effects that depression has on the health of individuals. Research has documented many of these deleterious effects and this article will highlight a few of them. One major long term effect of depression is suicide. In the US, suicide is ranked as the 10th leading cause of death and the second cause of death among people ages 15-24 (Morin, 2019)....

According to WHO, mental health is a state of well-being in which an individual recognizes his or her potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully and is able to make contributions to his or her community. Research has shown that good mental health is associated with better social relationships, physical health and productivity amongst others. Poor mental health which results in mental health conditions like depression amongst others is associated with anhedonia, low productivity, isolation, loss of appetite and suicidal thoughts. Depression is a mental health condition characterized by the feeling of sadness for more than two weeks, anhedonia, withdrawal from close family and friends, lack of concentration, irritability, negative thoughts (like I’m a failure, I’m worthless or people would be better off without me), sleep problems, tiredness headaches and muscle pains amongst others. There are several causes of depression, ran...