Q&A :: Mum's the word on depression

Photo: Glowimages

Depression is on the rise in Poland, psychologists alarm. And while in our Poles time now enjoy more freedom, prosperity and opportunity than ever before, researchers point out that the malady is reaching epidemic proportions.

In fact, it increasingly affects professionally active, successful people, elderly people and children.

An estimated 1.5 million people suffer from depression in Poland. But that does not necessarily mean that psychiatrists have been having their hands far more full in recent years, as studies show that a half of those affected by the condition shun psychiatric counsel, largely to the stigma attached to the illness.

Awareness about the condition and its health implications is on the rise. "Still, there is a problem with looking for treatment from psychiatrists in small towns and villages," says psychiatrist Adam Wichniak, from the Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology in Warsaw. "People are ashamed to go to a psychiatrist, they don't want others to know about their mental health issues."