Depression
In My Music Video
One of the themes I have chosen to represent in my music video is depression. I have chosen to do this subtly by having some shots in a padded cell and changing the lighting from dark to brighter.
In order to represent and show depression within my work, I have decided to take a closer look at what exactly depression is, and how and why it affects different people in the UK. I believe that by gathering information about this illness, I will be more informed about it. This will allow me to try and accurately represent depression in my work without causing offence to any individuals who may suffer from it.
What is depression?
https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/ also states that "many successful and famous people who seem to have everything going for them, battle with this problem". This also links to the idea behind my music video which is the singer suffering from depression and being in a paddle cell.
The website https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/ summarises depression as "a common mental disorder that causes people to experience depressed mood, loss of interest or pleasure, feelings of guilt or low self worth, disturbed sleep or appetite, low energy, and poor concentration." As depression is referred to as a common mental disorder this means that many people may suffer from it at some point in their lives.
The website also states that an individual suffering from depression will experience "intense emotions of anxiety, hopelessness, negativity and helplessness, and the feelings stay with them instead of going away." These feelings and emotions will therefore severely impact the sort of life a person leads as they experience them over an extended period of times.
Further information about depression:
Medication, especially antidepressants can be used to combat depression and other mental health problems. Whilst medication may not be the first choice for GP's and doctors to treat depression, it can be used depending on the type and severity of depression an individual may have.
The website also states that both alcohol and recreational drugs should be avoided if you are already suffering from depression. This is due to alcohol acting as a depressant on the brain, therefore making you feel worse instead of better.
Statistics about depression:
About 1/4 of the population may suffer from the most common mental disorder in the UK, which is mixed anxiety and depression. This is particularly troubling as a quarter of the UK population is a significantly large number of people.
The mental health website also states that women are more likely than men to be diagnosed and treated with a mental health problem. However, I thought it would be really important to represent a man character/artist in my music video because it is important for them to feel like they have a support.
It is also worth nothing that whilst depression can affect an individual of any age, it affects around 1 in 5 elderly people, a considerable number, considering the UK has an ageing population.
Globally, the mental health website, and the World Health Organisation (WHO) state that there are an estimated 450 million people that suffer form a mental health problem. This shows that mental illnesses are a common problem across the world, not just in specific countries or societies.
It is also worth considering that in any year (according to the Office for National Statistics Psychiatric Morbidity report of 2001) between 8-12% of the population can experience depression. This is also another significant statistic as it shows that a considerable proportion of the UK population can suffer from depression, showing that it is in fact a common illness, and should be recognised as such.
Depression
By Anny Spilotros
