Spread social awareness in the right way!

The Dobara Poocho video, recently released by the Live Laugh Love foundation founded by Deepika Padukone, to spread awareness about depression, has gotten off on the wrong footing. Criticism is now making the rounds, pointing out that the video, while trying to spread awareness about the issue, has oversimplified it, not depicting the entire truth. It simply shows people in a sad or withdrawn mood, while depression is not just about being sad.

Pulkit Sharma, a psychologist, says that while the idea of spreading awareness through a medium such as a video is very effective, it can also mislead the masses and keep them in the dark if done incorrectly. “When someone is making an ‘awareness’ video, just the information, and not the creative aspect, should be in the forefront. With such a video, people will understand depression in an incomplete manner.

The kind of sadness in someone who may be having a bad day and someone with depression is very different,” he says and adds, “It is not difficult to give the audience the right message without oversimplifying it. Depression has only a few symptoms like lack of interest, low self-confidence, sleepless nights or over sleeping, among others, which can be depicted. For example, they could show someone, who has received news that he has been promoted, display total indifference towards it.”

Kashish Chhabria, another psychologist says, “Depression is not accepted very well in our country, and we are still developing an understanding towards the illness. People, however do not take the word ‘depression’ seriously and there are times when it is used loosely. The words are not interchangeable and it is necessary to spread that awareness. A person may be temporarily sad, but depression is a prolonged condition and has signs and symptoms of its own.”

While making a video to spread awareness is a good thing, it is also necessary to not misguide people. Temporary mood swings and sadness shouldn’t be termed as depression. The videos should also mention that it is necessary to get in touch with a certified medical practitioner or a therapist.

Director Sirish Kunder, who has dabbled with mental illness in his short psychological-thriller, Kriti, says that it is not necessary to compromise on creativity to be factual. “Nobody will watch a movie that is boring or preachy, so it is important to make it entertaining. That’s the idea of bed-time stories too. If a mother says to her son, ‘don’t lie’, he may not listen to her, but by listening to the story about the boy who cried wolf, he will understand it better. Also, in-depth information is very important. I have read a lot of literature regarding psychology, so I knew how to take it forward while making Kriti,” he says.

Sociologist Avatthi Ramayya, says “In rural India, mental illness is not considered an illness at all, and is often not treated in the right way. They often resort to rituals and take a person to the temple, or healing practitioners, rather than treat them in a hospital. This is because the society doesn’t consider it to be an illness, and by the time they reach the hospital, it is often too late. The dominant understanding about the actual form of illness, even in urban areas, isn’t correct, and terms are often loosely used. The correct way to approach the topic through the media, would be by creating awareness, and advising them to visit a therapist rather than giving half-baked information.”