Issue 16 - April 2008 | Archive
Depression Awareness Week (21st to 26th April 2008)
Throughout Depression Awareness Week (21st to 26th April 2008), NHS Careers is highlighting the NHS staff helping patients with depression.
Run by the Depression Alliance, Depression Awareness Week is in its 13th year and aims to raise the profile of the issues faced by those with depression and raise money to support the services offered by the Alliance. This year’s theme is employment. As well as helping sufferers every day with their condition, some NHS staff are helping them get on with their lives and back into work.
Michael was made redundant after working at a high-street bank for 10 years and was looking for work for a year before being diagnosed with depression. The job-seeking made him unhappy and anxious. After awhile, he found he had lost all motivation and was spending more time indoors and on his own.
His friend Johnny wanted Michael to see a doctor. He was concerned that Michael was slipping further and further into depression. After a lot of persuasion, Michael went to see his local GP who told him that his symptoms pointed towards a clinical condition and referred him to a clinic. At the clinic, Michael was greeted by a receptionist and was shown through to see Jay, a clinical psychologist, who undertook a clinical assessment using techniques such as interviews and psychometric tests.
After being diagnosed as suffering from severe clinical depression, he was referred to the local hospital as an outpatient. In his first visit, he saw Winnie, a psychotherapist. Michael really liked Winnie and agreed to see her again. Over the next few months, and thanks to the sessions with Winnie, Michael was becoming more and more confident. He even started to talk about getting back to work. Winnie felt that Michael didn’t need to see her anymore but wanted him to keep on seeing someone so referred him to see a counsellor in primary care who helps people with mild mental health problems.
After a few more months, he was off incapacity benefit and seeking employment. On his first visit to the Job Centre, the adviser told him about a Local Employment Partnership between the centre and the local hospital. This partnership helps job seekers get back into employment and off benefit. Vacancies included security staff, drivers and clerks but Michael really wanted to work directly with patients and the adviser found vacancies for porters.
Two weeks later Michael went to see Jean, a Human Resources Manager and then Malcolm, the Voluntary Services Manager, at the hospital. Michael started by doing some work experience at the hospital but within a few months, he was working full-time as a porter. Instead of being at home every day on his own, he was working with hundreds of different people everyday and felt like he was making a real difference to people’s lives.
As well as helping him get better, NHS staff helped Michael get back on the career ladder. He hasn’t been this happy for years.
Facts and statistics
- One in five people suffer from depression at some point in their life.
- More than 2.9 million people are diagnosed as having depression at any one time
- As many as three in four cases are neither recognised nor treated.
- The World Health Organisation says that by 2020 depression will be second only to chronic heart disease as an international health burden.
- More than 80% of people with depression can be helped with the appropriate treatment
