World Mental Health Day

I just learned that yesterday was World Mental Health Day.

World Mental Health Day raises public awareness about mental health issues. The day promotes open discussion of mental disorders, and investments in prevention, promotion and treatment services. This year the theme for the day is "Depression: A Global Crisis".

Depression affects more than 350 million people of all ages, in all communities, and is a significant contributor to the global burden of disease. Although there are known effective treatments for depression, access to treatment is a problem in most countries and in some countries fewer than 10% of those who need it receive such treatment.

NatureJobs has an excellent article describing some of the concerns.

Statistics specific to graduate students are hard to come by, but surveys¹ suggest that rates of depression have doubled among all US college students over the past 15 years, and incidence of suicidal behaviour has tripled. The best estimates are that about 10% of US college students², and 4% of all UK university students³, seek treatment. And the vast majority of mental-health disorders, from schizophrenia to bipolar disorder, manifest during the teens and twenties: the college and postgraduate years.

Joe Hanson (@jtotheizzoe) has a very personal reflection at It's Okay to Be Smart.

In an environment where talent seems to be universal, and results seems to be the only currency, there exists a fear that admitting the existence of mental health issues, and seeking help to treat them, equals weakness.

This. Must. Stop.

I'm with Joe. This must stop.