This month the “Take Charge of Your Health Today” page focuses on depression. Vianca Masucci, health advocate at the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh, and Esther L. Bush, president and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh, speak on this topic.
VM: Hello, Ms. Bush. I’ve been looking forward to our conversation about this month’s topic—depression. Even though people are being more open about their depression, there’s still so much stigma and misinformation surrounding the topic.
EB: You’re right about that, Vianca. There are two big misconceptions that I’d like to discuss today and challenge our readers to consider. The first misconception is the idea that it’s normal to be depressed. Sadness is normal. Depression is not. It’s an illness. Second, there’s a misconception that depression is a state of mind that people can overcome through sheer strength of mind. Strength or weakness has nothing to do with depression. It’s caused by many factors that are out of our control—like your daily environment or genetics.
VM: Thank you for tackling those common misconceptions. Depression is more than just feeling sad every now and again. It’s an illness—like diabetes or asthma— that must be treated by a mental health professional. Depression can be more than sadness too. It can make people feel anxious or irritable, cause changes in appetite or sleep, make people lose interest in hobbies or hanging out with friends, make it difficult to concentrate or even cause physical pains like head or body aches.
EB: I’d encourage anyone experiencing these symptoms to seek professional help. There are many mental health services options. People can find a care plan that works for them.
VM: It’s so important for you to say that, Ms. Bush. Research has shown that Black adults are more likely to report psychological distress than White adults. This makes sense, considering the racial adversity that we deal with every day, that we have dealt with in the past and that we fear we will deal with in the future. It can be very stressful to be a person of color in the United States. We need to confront that stress and what it does to our spirit. To deny it or to call it a weakness takes the focus away from those issues and puts it on the individual person.
EB: Yes, Vianca, and we need to change that thought. No one should blame themselves for depression.
VM: But what about folks who blame depression on their relationship with God? What advice would you give to people who say that feeling depressed means that they must work on getting closer to God?
EB: I’d say that having a relationship with God is a beautiful and rewarding thing. If people want to have a closer relationship with God, they should. This relationship is a big part of the healing for many people. But getting help from a mental health professional is also absolutely essential.
VM: Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Ms. Bush. I can’t wait to talk about next month’s topic, which is preventive health and wellness. If anyone has questions or needs resources for depression, e-mail partners@hs.pitt.edu.
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