Personal Views

Someone once told me that by halfway through the medical course almost one third of us will have experienced some form of (clinical) depression. Possibly not that hard to believe with the pressures of the course, but would you be aware enough to recognise the signs in a friend or colleague?

I used to think that I knew all about depression through the experience of a close relative with the illness, but I didn't recognise the signs in myself. It's not as if I woke up one morning and “bang” I was depressed, my problems started so gradually that nobody noticed until things ran out of control and treatment was no longer a simple matter of taking antidepressants and everything would be fine.

I began to have problems concentrating in lectures and tutorials, was unable to focus on wards, unable to revise effectively, and began to miss meetings and appointments. My attendance at medical school declined …