Source: CCTV.com

12-27-2006 14:55

Depression is one of the most common psychological problems in the world, affecting nearly everyone either through personal experience or through depression of a family member. The cost of human suffering due to suffering cannot be estimated. Depression can interfere with normal functioning, and frequently causes problems with work, social and family lives. It causes pain and suffering not only to those who have the disorder, but also to those who care about them. Serious depression can destroy an entire family's life as well as the life of the depressed person.

The cause of depression may be genetic. Stress and other psychological factors are involved in its onset as well. Many people have been afflicted with depression, and yet we still do not understand it well. Even those afflicted may not know how to treat it.

What are the symptoms of depression? Is depression common? Is it a real illness or is it psychosomatic? Can depression kill? In this episode, we get the correct answers to these important questions.

We invited two experts in depression, Dr. George Chen, Director of Clinical Dept and Medical Affairs at Glaxo SmithKline China, and Dr. Sun Xueli, Director of the Psychological Center of West China Hospital, Sichuan University. Watching real cases, we get an opportunity to experience the suffering of depression patients; completing the questionnaire, we discover how to evaluate if people are prone to depression; and listening to the experts, we learn the correct ways to treat depression. To our surprise, many famous people have suffered from depression, who are they? Is there any connection between their fame and depression?

For such an important illness, the average person knows little about depression. Join us on this episode of Up-Close to learn the truths behind this silent disease.

 

Editor:Wang Ping