Just as people experience depression in many different ways, there are many different forms of ‘conversation’ we can have to support someone going through it.
Speaking on RTÉ, Professor Jim Lucey explored helpful, meaningful ways of communicating with someone experiencing depression.
Depression is the biggest unmet health need of our time; globally, more than 300 million people experience depression. It is the largest cause of disability in our society, affecting one fifth of the population at some stage.
In reality, at least one member of every family in Ireland will experience this problem. Given the scale of the issue, it is worth considering why we struggle so much to talk to each other about it.
Professor Lucey joined Miriam O'Callaghan on Today with Sean O'Rourke to discuss the different forms of conversation we can have with someone in distress. You can listen back to the interview further down this page.
You can also read more about "listening-talk" from Professor Lucey here.
Learn more about depression
Listen to Professor Lucey's interview
Author
Prof Jim Lucey
Professor Jim Lucey was Medical Director of St Patrick’s Mental Health Services (SPMHS) from 2008 to 2019, and a Consultant Psychiatrist with our team until 2023.
He is Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Trinity College Dublin. He has been working for more than 30 years with patients experiencing mental health difficulties.
During his time with us in SPMHS, in addition to medical management, Professor Lucey specialised in the assessment, diagnosis and management of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and other anxiety disorders. He gave public lectures and was a regular broadcaster on mental health matters on RTÉ radio, featuring on Today with Sean O’Rourke for many years.