According to a new study, the support provided to loved ones during a difficult period would be essential to avoid depression, one of the most common mental illnesses.
- Depression – which corresponds to a time when morale is less good – is to be differentiated from depression which presents itself as a succession of characterized depressive episodes.
- Treatments for depression are effective in 70% of cases, according to Inserm.
One in five people have suffered or will suffer from depression in their lifetime, according to theNational Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm). This mental illness can affect anyone, at any age. It is characterized by different symptoms: sadness, loss of vitality, dark or even suicidal thoughts, anxiety, fatigue, etc.
Support from friends and family reduces the risk of depression
According to‘Health Insurance, “Ihas Depression is the result of several poorly understood mechanisms”. Among them, there are in particular difficult situations or events in life, such as the loss of one’s job, a death in one’s entourage, a breakup, etc.
A new study, published in the journal American Journal of Psychiatry, shows that people who have family or friend support during difficult times are less likely to suffer from depression. This would also be true for people who have a genetic vulnerability to depression.
During their work, the researchers of the University of Michigan, in the United States, studied the data of 1,011 first-year medical students and 435 men and women whose partner had recently died. Two situations which, for different reasons, can cause depression.
Results: students had a 126% increase in depressive syndromes during their first year of medicine, while in people who had just lost their spouse, this percentage was 34%, compared to before death.
How to support those around you?
In each of the groups, the scientists found that those who suffered the least from depression were those who were most supported by those around them. Thus, they believe that the role of loved ones is essential for those who are going through a difficult time.
Helping a loved one can take different forms. This can be material support – help with housework, childcare, shopping – or psychological support, i.e. listening, asking for news regularly, etc. So many attentions that allow the person not to feel alone and to be able to externalize what they feel.
Obviously, the ideal is to combine this with professional monitoring, with a psychologist or psychiatrist, who can decide on drug treatment if necessary. Indeed, the most severe forms of depression can be very dangerous. According to Inserm, the risk of suicide is multiplied by 30 during a depressive episode. Indeed, 10 to 20% of people suffering from this disease commit suicide.
