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Writes Lucia Mukamba
Johnny like any other person looking for greener pastures applied for a visa to go to the United Kingdom from his native Zimbabwe to work as a caregiver. At first, he seemed to cope with the rigors of life in a foreign land with the tough routine of work and more work, loneliness cold, and racism.
He realized the reality of the UK was a far cry from the sugar candy mountain he had anticipated. He soon began developing feelings of self loathing, sadness, hopelessness, irritability, lack of concentration, and regret. Most times he would just curl up in his bed and cry and sleep proved hard to come by.
He often had thoughts of leaving everything here on earth since the world and all the things he had previously valued, his dotting mother, his lover, his friends, music, food, football, and all the so-called good things in life had lost meaning. His small, rented room was a mess as he no longer cared about hygiene, order, and self-care.
Being new in a foreign land also meant he had no friends, and he had no desire to call home suddenly. It is only at work that his work friends noticed his clumsiness and a demeanor of perennial sadness. He only spoke in monosyllables and grunts and hardly even smiled. His supervisor was beginning to worry about his suitability for care work and its demand for diligence, amiability, and attention to detail and conversation.
Since the massive migration overseas, it has been noted of late that most migrating care workers have been experiencing signs and symptoms of depression due to separation from family and friends and adapting to foreign land as in the case of Johnny therefore this article seeks to address depression signs and symptoms, possible interventions and coping skills.
Depression is a common mental illness that affects emotions, thoughts, and behaviour. It is the leading cause of illness and disability, with an aggregate point, one-year, and lifetime prevalence of 12.9%, 7.2%, and 10.8% respectively.
Treatment includes medication, psychotherapy, and lifestyle modifications. Depression is a widespread mental health issue, with an estimated 3.8% of the population experiencing it globally. In Africa, 29.19 million people suffer from clinical depression, including 66 million women. It is one of the main causes of disability and raises the chance of suicide
Professional assistance is essential to help manage depression. Interventions include psychotherapy, medication, exercise, lifestyle change, and support groups. Cognitive behavioural therapy will also address the relationship between behaviours, thoughts, and feelings, while supportive therapy helps patients explore their experiences. Medication may help improve mood and other symptoms.
