Depression: Governor sees hopeful signs

Sydney
9 December 2001

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Depression: Governor sees hopeful signs

Social withdrawal, homelessness and temptation
to suicide are all possible effects of severe depression

By Marilyn Kerjean

Many young people on the cusp of entering that “time of burgeoning intelligence, physical beauty, idealism, altruism, loyalty to friends and dreams of the future” are “already at risk” of experiencing debilitating levels of depression, acccording to the Governor, Professor Marie Bashir.

“Depressed adolescents tend not to like to talk spontaneously about feelings and may respond angrily to inquiries,” she said. “Frequently attributed erroneously to adolescent turmoil or ‘growing pains’, the problem may develop unnoticed.”

Young people were just as worried about global issues as they were during the Cold War, she said, but now they raised concerns about “reconciliation, threats to the environment, adolescent depression and suicide and the means to spiritual renewal”.

When it came to the more serious clinical depression, those at greatest risk were “young indigenous Australians, young refugees, young homosexual people, young people in custody and those who suffer from chronic physical illness, in whom high levels of depression exist and which are acted out in a range of self destructive ways”.

The Governor delivered the annual Sandra David Oration for the St Vincent’s Clinic Foundation, which is held in honour of Sr Sandra David, a Sister of Charity who worked for many years as a teacher and a missionary.

In her address – The Best Years of Your Life? Reflections on Depression in Young People – Prof Bashir cited research estimating that 24 per cent of young people in Australia will have suffered at least one major depressive episode before the age of 18.

Family and personal relationships, self-esteem, education and work prospects were all casualties of depression.

Social withdrawal, homelessness and temptation to suicide were all possible effects.

Apart from “biological, genetic and psychosocial factors” in mental illness, many “other explanations have been sought in an examination of contemporary societal values”.

The tendency to focus on the rights and wellbeing of self with less concern for others, in an environment which promotes material gratification, may be just as significant.

But there is reason for hope, Prof Bashir said.

She said that the impact and nature of mental illnesses such as clinical depression was being better recognised there was less stigma involved and more pro-active approaches were emerging to combat them.

“Many creative programs to meet this challenge have been developed in Australia, following an awareness of the dimensions of the problem and the implications of failure to respond,” she said.

Awareness-raising programs such as the government-funded ‘school link’ program – which involves employing specially appointed health professionals to work in schools to identify students at risk – may be starting to have an impact, the Governor said.

But most inspiring was the increasing co-operation between “governments, non-government organisations, churches and volunteers, building genuine partnerships and the beginning of renewed social capital,” she said.

Prof Bashir has had a distinguished medical career.

She was appointed clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of Sydney in 1993.

She became area clinical director of Mental Health Services in the Central Sydney Area in 1994.

She helped establish the Rivendell Child, Adolescent and Family Service to help young people with emotional and psych iatric disorders and in 1995 she was involved in establishing the Aboriginal Mental Health Unit.

DEPRESSION, POVERTY ADD TO HIV TOLL

By Marilyn Kerjean

I care … do you? was the theme of World AIDS Day 2001. HIV is now a global epidemic with more than 60 million infections raging worldwide and no signs of slowing.

Next year marks the 20th anniversary of the first diagnosis of HIV/AIDS in Australia – at St Vincent’s Hospital, Darlinghurst.

New drug therapies and comm unity supports are having positive effects, but people living with the virus are still vulnerable to depression, poverty and isolation.

With these sober thoughts in mind, and thoughts of gratitude for carers, St Vincent’s Hospital, Sacred Heart Hospice and The Tree of Hope support service held three events on November 30 to mark World AIDS Day.

Representatives of Anglican, Catholic, Hindu, Uniting Church, Jewish and Buddhist faiths led a moving interfaith prayer service in the hospital’s Campus Chapel.

More than 60 people gathered at the morning service to commemorate the day and remember friends and loved ones who have died.

A candle of hope and a mem orial quilt draped over the altar were touching focal points to the simple prayer service.

The State MP for Bligh, Clover Moore, whose electorate contains the heaviest concentration in Australia of people living with HIV, was the guest speaker.

Ms Moore, who is an active member of her parish, spoke briefly of searching for God in the midst of the tragedy of AIDS and the need for people generally not to succumb to complacency about HIV and AIDS.

Fr Desmond Daniels, director of health ministry in the Catholic Archdiocese of Madras in southern India, also participated in the service.

Before his prayer he spoke of his home city, which is fast becoming the “AIDS capital of the world” and sang songs of hope to the gathering.

Visitors at the service included Jennifer Veary, a married nurse who is secretary of a Californian Christian HIV ministry. Ms Veary, who has been infected with the virus, says it is dangerous to assume that HIV “will never affect me”.

At the post-service morning tea she reflected: “That’s what people in the US said 10 years ago, and now it’s blown up over there. I hope people will look at my atypical face and realise that if it can happen to me, it can happen to anyone.”

The other events organised for the day were Masses in the hospital chapel and at St Mary’s Cathedral.

The Tree of Hope is a centre for the carers of those with HIV. It is funded by the Sisters of Charity and Centacare, and can be contacted on 9698 3161.