Sadness, apathy, nervousness, irritability… the feelings that are mixed when mental health falters are many. And if it is not remedied, the problem worsens, to the point of triggering depression, a pathology whose incidence is increasing, to the point that the World Health Organization warns that it will be the first cause of disability in the world. year 2030. And Spain is not far behind. However, near the 40% of Spaniards, specifically 38.8%, do not know how to ask for help when faced with a depression problem and almost half (47.6%) would have doubts when identifying if he himself is going through a situation of this type. This is clear from the survey titled “Support and seeking help in mental health: situation and perspectives in Spain”, promoted by Pfizer, on the occasion of the commemoration this coming October 10 World Mental Health Day.
The objective of this study is to give visibility to a reality, such as depression, which affects approximately 280 million people around the worldaccording to data from the World Health Organization, placing a special focus on the importance of knowing how to ask for help and how to offer it when faced with a depression problem.
According to this study, a 62% of those surveyed would like to offer support to someone close to them with depressionbut I would have questions about how to do it. Among the main obstacles to doing so are the lack of resources and ignorance (57%), the feeling of intrusion (44.5%) and the fear of rejection (38%). These feelings are also a barrier for those who want to ask for help, since 46% of those surveyed would not do so for shame and 44% for fear of rejection.
The feeling of lack of empathy in the environment appears in this survey as another of the obstacles when asking for help for depression. Specifically, 35.7% of those surveyed consider that there is not enough empathy in their immediate environment to feel heard when faced with a mental health problem. This percentage amounts to 36% in the case of young people between 18 and 24 years old.
However, studies have shown that The participation of the environment in the care of people with depression is of great relevance and can make a difference; Well, for those who suffer from mental health problems, being surrounded by people who know how they are and who understand them can increase their quality of life.
“The truth is that there are still certain myths and stigmas associated with mental health and that affects something as important as asking for help or knowing how to offer it when another person needs it. Both for those who face depression, and for those who are close to them, it is essential to have the necessary support and know how to offer it,” explains the Dr. Javier Quinterohead of the Psychiatry and Mental Health Service at the Infanta Leonor University Hospital. The expert emphasizes that “contributing to giving visibility to the importance of mental health continues to be a very necessary job in our society and it is equally important that we promote knowledge with scientific rigor and always with the help of professionals.”
The role of social networks
Almost 80% of those surveyed say they would go to medical professionals when looking for information about depression and the support needed to deal with it, and 8.3% would turn to social networks to do so. However, more than 60% of Spaniards, to a greater extent (70.5%) aged 25 to 34, recognize the role of social networks in raising awareness about mental health and giving it visibility as very important or quite important. .
YouTube (50.3%) and Instagram (36%) are the networks most used to search for information. Thus, 20.7% of young people between 18 and 24 years old go to these – mainly YouTube (48%) – to look for resources on depression and support.
In general terms, 68.4% of Spaniards believe that more public information on mental health is needed1, and Almost 2 in 10 (19.7%) openly admit that they are unaware of the resources, associations or professionals that can help them with their mental health.
Although 45% of those surveyed say they do not know where to go to seek help for depression, the role of medical professionals is highlighted. Thus, 79.8% of Spaniards affirm that they would go to medical professionals when seeking information about depression and support; and, when faced with a mental health problem of a family member or friend, more than half (54%) would recommend finding a professional who can help them.
Also, the survey reflects that the 58% of Spaniards claim to be aware of the importance of talking to professionals, family or friends about depression to treat it and improve its process.
With the aim of promoting visibility and conversation around mental health and, specifically, the importance of “help” when faced with a depression problem, Pfizer has launched the campaign “#apoYOensaludmental. A decalogue with some keys to keep in mind when it comes to how to help or how to ask for help when faced with a mental health problem. make known the tools available when asking for help or offering it. “At Pfizer we have been promoting the conversation about mental health for years on our website buenosdiassaludmental.es/apoyo. We believe that it is important to provide information and resources to the general population to, for example, contribute to ending myths related to mental health problems. , facilitate understanding and look for the appropriate tools to deal with them,” explains Jose ChavesMedical Director of Pfizer Spain.