The Media Challenge 2018 (Article)

The tragic and recent deaths of famous personalities, Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain, have rocked the entertainment world. Earlier this year, K-pop star Jonghyun’s suicide also created a huge stir in the multi-million dollar K-pop industry. Oftentimes, mental health issues like depression are cast aside without much thought. If it can be a destructive force in the lives of celebrities, what more in the lives of youths like you and me?

In view of this, we set out to ask youths aged 15-35 about their thoughts in regards to depression being a growing issue in Singapore. Even though depression is an issue that is constantly growing, it is still a topic that is stigmatised in society.

“It just keeps on happening,” said Fabian Horan, 33, a businessman. This shows how the issue of depression is constantly spreading instead of dying down. Fabian also mentioned that it often happens to the people who seem to be happy on the outside, which makes the signs harder to spot.This seems to be a big issue in society and by making depression a less taboo topic, it might just be the way to help people open up about their feelings. Fabian’s thoughts on depression would be that emotional support is a significant factor in the recovery of depressive people.

Jerald Foo, 31, added, “Depression is not simply an illness, but a mental disorder. People should not think that depression is the same thing as sadness.”

Depression is a mental illness; it is not something that one chooses to have. Society is so stigmatised towards mental care that it makes it more difficult for people to seek help. For example, in South Korea, people with depression get ridiculed and are not taken seriously. This discourages them from seeking help and results in them feeling alone. This stereotypical mindset of people needs to change for more people to get the help they need.

Youths have to be taken seriously and should be effectively helped. According to youths in Singapore, depression is to be dealt with through professional help and emotional support from friends and family. Professional help from certified doctors and psychiatrists is also required to lead them throughout the road of recovery. Youths think that no one should face it alone and that they should all be there for each other when in need.

“Words can hurt victims of depression further”, Ai Tong, 17, student.