A recent survey carried out by the 2011 Mental Health Barometer has found that almost a quarter of people still believe that depression is a “state of mind” and not an illness. The survey was commissioned by the pharmaceutical firm Lundberg.

According to the survey, only 37% of young people below the age of 25 were aware of what actually depression is. The survey has revealed that young, unemployed men were at the highest risk of depression. About 69% of people who were suffering from depression were women while only 31% were men.

About 93% of the people think that depression should be discussed openly and 70% have admitted that it’s difficult for them to discuss the issue with their doctor.

According to the 2011 Lundbeck Mental Health Barometer, depression is a widespread condition in Ireland and about 4% of the population directly suffers from it. Approximately 400,000 people experience depression at any one time in Ireland. The symptoms of the disease include feeling of unhappiness most of the time, loss of interest in life, feeling anxious, agitated or irritable, feeling guilty, changes to sleeping patterns, change in appetite, feeling tired a lot of the time or low energy levels.