Union Health Ministry slammed over Depression post on Twitter

Published On 2018-06-30 04:04 GMT   |   Update On 2018-06-30 04:04 GMT

New Delhi: A post describing "depression as a state of low mood" on the official twitter handle of the Health Ministry accompanied by a digital poster listing out activities to cope with it was slammed by Twitter users for "trivialising" the issue as some users termed the definition as "highly inaccurate".A tweet posted on June 26 by the @MoHFW_INDIA, the official twitter handle of Ministry...

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New Delhi: A post describing "depression as a state of low mood" on the official twitter handle of the Health Ministry accompanied by a digital poster listing out activities to cope with it was slammed by Twitter users for "trivialising" the issue as some users termed the definition as "highly inaccurate".


A tweet posted on June 26 by the @MoHFW_INDIA, the official twitter handle of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, read, Depression is a state of low mood that affects a person's thought, behaviour, feeling & sense of well-being. One must take up activities that keep him or her boosted in order to cope with depression (sic).


It also posted a poster listing out activities such as following a routine like eating fruits, staying clean, going for walks, practising yoga, taking multi-vitamins, travelling and thinking positive.





However, the post invited a lot of flak from the followers, especially from the medical fraternity. Some of the responses include:








The users slammed the tweet for failing to mention that one should seek therapy or clinical help for treating depression.
































The WHO defines depression as a common mental disorder, characterized by persistent sadness and a loss of interest in activities that you normally enjoy, accompanied by an inability to carry out daily activities, for at least two weeks.


It says that depression is the leading cause of ill health and disability worldwide. More than 300 million people are now living with depression, an increase of more than 18 percent between 2005 and 2015.


In addition, people with depression normally have several of the following: a loss of energy; a change in appetite; sleeping more or less; anxiety; reduced concentration; indecisiveness; restlessness; feelings of worthlessness, guilt, or hopelessness; and thoughts of self-harm or suicide.


Depression is treatable, with talking therapies or antidepressant medication or a combination of these.


In India, the National Mental Health Survey 2015-16 reveals that nearly 15 percent of Indian adults need active intervention for one or more mental health issues and one in 20 Indians suffers from depression. It is estimated that in 2012, India had over 258,000 suicides, with the age-group of 15-49 years being most affected.


Read Also: NIMHANS National Mental Health Survey 2015-2016

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