10 Oct 2012

GENEVA / DEPRESSION

On World Mental Health Day (10 October), the World Health Organization (WHO) is calling for an end to the stigmatization of depression and other mental disorders and for better access to treatment for all people who need it. WHO

Posted at: October 10, 2012 2:56 pm

Duration: 02:19

Available in: SD, HD

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Full script

STORY: GENEVA / DEPRESSION
TRT: 2.19
SOURCE: WHO
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
 
DATELINE:  9, 10 OCTOBER 2012, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND / FILE

SHOTLIST:

FILE – RECENT, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

1.	Wide shot, aerial view WHO Headquarters

10 OCTOBER 2012, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

2.	Tilt down, depression banner

9 OCTOBER 2012, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

3.	SOUNDBITE (English) Dr. Shekhar Saxena, Director, WHO Department for Mental Health and Substance Abuse:
"350 million people across the world suffer from depression. The good news is that depression is very much treatable. It can be identified and treated by general doctors and nurses. You don't really need a specialist to do treatment for all the people. However, the majority of people do not seek treatment because the depression is also stigmatized. People don't go for treatment because they are fearful of being identified as suffering from depression. Our message for this day is: look out for people who might have depression. Yourself, your family, friends and support them to seek help."

10 OCTOBER 2012, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

4.	Pan left, from camera to panel discussion on depression
5.	Med shot, Sarah Wollaston
6.	Wide shot, panel discussion
7.	SOUNDBITE (English) Sarah Wollaston, British Member of Parliament: 
"The stigma that surrounds depression is a major issue. I come from a medical background; I worked in primary care for 24 years, and about a quarter of the people I saw suffered from some sort of mental illness so I was very acutely aware of the problems that they faced. But actually it wasn't until I suffered an episode of depression myself, post-natal depression, and was unwell for many months, that really it hit home to me that just how debilitating this condition is."
8.	Close up, camera
9.	SOUNDBITE (English) Sarah Wollaston, British Member of Parliament: 
"When I talked publicly about my depression, it was immensely positive the reaction that I received. So many people came up and said: you know that happened to me too. I think that it is very encouraging that people feel that they should seek help early because that is vitally important."
10.	 Close up, camera with panel discussion in background
11.	Wide shot, Kevan Jones speaking
12.	Close up, WHO papers
13.	SOUNDBITE (English) Kevan Jones, British Member of Parliament:
"The more we talk about it, and I think we are slowly changing in the UK on that, the better. I am not one to say that you need to get hung up on politically incorrect language, but I think just an understanding and recognizing that one in four will suffer from some sort of mental illness in their life and that you will have a family member or friend who suffers from it. And if you do, you have to be supportive."
14.	Close up, WHO flag
 
STORYLINE:

Dr Shekhar Saxena, Director of the Department for Mental Health and Substance Abuse said that globally, more than 350 million people have depression, a mental disorder that prevents people from functioning well.

Saxena said depression "is very much treatable" and "can be identified and treated by general doctors and nurses."

However, he said, because of the stigma that is often still attached to depression, many fail to acknowledge that they are ill and do not seek treatment.

Sarah Wollaston, a Member of the British Parliament and a medical professional, said "the stigma that surrounds depression is a major issue" but acknowledged that she only realized "how debilitating this condition is" after suffering herself an episode of post-natal depression.

Another British Member of Parliament, Kevan Jones, said it was important to be supportive and "understanding and recognizing that one in four will suffer from some sort of mental illness in their life and that you will have a family member or friend who suffers from it."

WHO estimates suggest that depression is common in all regions of the world. A recent study supported by WHO revealed that around 5 percent of people in the community had depression during the last year.

World Mental Health Day was initiated by the World Federation for Mental Health in 1992. The day is used by many countries and organizations to raise public awareness about mental health issues and to promote open discussion of mental disorders, and investments in prevention, promotion and treatment services.

Filed under WHO - World Health Organization.