Mental illness can affect anybody, regardless of age, gender, culture, ethnicity, or social class. But no matter who they are, people who have been diagnosed with a mental illness are all likely to experience stigma. Public attitudes and beliefs, often based on fear and misunderstanding, stereotype individuals with mental illness, exposing them to prejudice and discrimination. Stigma infects every issue surrounding mental illness, often with worse consequences than the illness itself. In 2001, the World Health Organization declared stigma to be the “single most important barrier to overcome in the community.”

During this broadcast we will examine statistics as they relate to depressive disorders, with a focus on the effect these disorders have on those diagnosed, those close to them and on society as a whole. Following this overview Harmony Brown will share her story of living with
depression.