Although we all want happiness and joy every day, sometimes we still feel blue. Most people can control this, but sometimes it can get worse and people fall into depression (抑郁).
In 2017, the WHO chose "depression" as the theme of World Health Day. This aimed to raise people's awareness (意识) of it. According to its recent report, about 322 million people had depression in 2016. This was more than 4 per cent of the world's population.
Depression is described as a mental disorder (精神疾病). It has several symptoms (症状) like sadness and losing of interest. In extreme cases, depression may lead to suicide (自杀).
There are three groups of people that are more likely to develop depression, according to WHO. One is old people, while another is women who are pregnant (怀孕的) or have just given birth. And young people are also one of the three groups.
In China, depression among young people is on the rise. Competitions, especially in education, can cause a lot of pressure.
Luckily, efforts are being made to solve this problem. Now several social organizations in China are trying hard to help those with depression. WHO also held the "Depression: Let's talk" campaign, aiming to make sure that people with depression seek and get help.
