Depression and Mental Health: Analysis of a Ted Talk by Andrew Solomon

This essay analyzes Andrew Solomon's Ted Talk on depression, focusing on his personal experiences and insights into the mental disorder. The essay discusses the symptoms of depression, its impact on individuals, and various treatment modalities, including both pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches. It highlights the importance of understanding depression as a widespread mental illness and emphasizes the need for increased awareness and support. The essay also explores the differences between depression, grief and sadness, suicidal ideations, and the importance of vitality. The essay references the speaker's experiences to explain the lived experiences and the impact of depression on an individual's life. The essay concludes by emphasizing the need for a focus on non-pharmacological approaches to address this widespread mental illness. The essay highlights the importance of understanding depression and breaking stereotypes associated with it. The author also uses the talk to correlate with new understandings and knowledge of depression.

Running head: ESSAY
Ted Talk: Depression
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1ESSAY
Introduction- Depression, also referred to as major depressive disorder (MDD) refers
to a mental condition that is characterized by the presence of persistent low mood during
most circumstances and is generally accompanied by signs and symptoms of poor self-
esteem, loss of interest, false beliefs, and social isolation (Monroe, and Samantha).
Depression has also been identified as a global crisis in recent years, and requires immediate
medical attention. This essay will elaborate on the Ted Talk video and will also correlate with
new understandings and knowledge.
Discussion- On analyzing the talk, the overall impression can be associated with the
fact that the speaker Andrew Solomon tried to increase awareness and understanding of the
audience with the mental disorder, and also aimed to familiarize them with the effects of
depression on the life of the affected people, and the challenges associated with its treatment
(Solomon). Although depression affected more than 216 million individuals in the year 2015,
the condition is still not completely understood by all people (Vos). Hence, the primary aim
of the speaker was to share his experiences of living with depressive disorder, with the
objective of increasing understanding about mental wellbeing and health and breaking
stereotypes. Although I had a sound understanding of the fact that depression increases
suicidal thoughts and also creates a negative impact on the sense of health and wellbeing, the
talk provided an exhaustive information on the different treatment modalities that are
generally implemented upon depression patients. I was also not aware of the presence of
suicidal ideations among depression patients. The talk was most interesting when Solomon
talked about the lived experiences, which is important for mental health since incorporation
of the feelings and experiences of people who have endured a mental illness facilitates
enhancement of health outcomes for patients facing similar situation (Tanner).
One colleague of mine had suffered from depression, following the sudden demise of
her parents. This talk helped in reinforcing the fact that such patients generally remain

2ESSAY
preoccupied or ruminate over their thoughts and feelings, and also feel a sense of
hopelessness. The major difference between depression and grief or sadness is that the latter
are highly subjective and get resolved within a definite period of time. However, depression
alters the release of chemicals from the brain as well, and are not a normal continuum of
human emotion (Karp). While being sad or grieved, a person can still take pleasure in
different life activities, and also able to maintain the daily activities. However, depression
decreases probability of divergent thinking and also makes it difficult for the affected person
to cope with the stressors of life.
Solomon believed that alternative treatments such as, cingulotomy, traditional
practices, exorcism, and electroconvulsive therapy had been found beneficial for treating
depression. This is in accordance to the fact that most people suffering from depression
display a preference towards non-drug treatment approaches, in order to gain better assistance
for management of their prevailing mental condition. By stating the vitality is the opposite for
depression, Solomon meant that depression prevents a person from leading a successful and
healthy life, which are central components of vitality (Fried). Owing to the fact that
depression creates a negative influence and makes the patient lose interest in life, and also
gives rise to suicidal ideations, loss of vitality is its major characteristic. Furthermore,
depression is a bigger concern for the elderly people since they are more prone to limited
mobility, transition from work to retirement, death of loved ones, divorce, chronic medical
conditions, or financial hardships (Sengupta, and Anoop). In addition, traumatic life events,
and decreased levels of chief neurotransmitters in the brain like norepinephrine and serotonin.
Conclusion- To conclude, depression affects people belonging to different age groups
and is a widespread mental illness. However, owing to the high expenditure of
pharmacological therapies, there is a need to focus on non-pharmacological approaches for
addressing this concern.

3ESSAY
References
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and non-DSM symptoms of depression in a network analysis." Journal of affective
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Karp, David A. Speaking of sadness: Depression, disconnection, and the meanings of illness.
Oxford University Press, 2016.
Monroe, Scott M., and Samantha F. Anderson. "Depression: The shroud of
heterogeneity." Current Directions in Psychological Science 24.3 (2015): 227-231.
Sengupta, Paramita, and Anoop I. Benjamin. "Prevalence of depression and associated risk
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Solomon, Andrew. "Depression, The Secret We Share". Ted.Com, 2019,
https://www.ted.com/talks/andrew_solomon_depression_the_secret_we_share/details?
language=en.
Tanner, Danielle. "The Lived Experience of African American Women with Depression."
(2018).
Vos, Theo, et al. "Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and years lived with
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