Going on holiday can increase the likelihood of suicide in people suffering from clinical depression.
”A change of scene does not help a person with depression. It’s more likely to make them worry about the new environment they are in,” says Christa Roth-Sackenheim, chairperson of the professional Association of German Psychiatrists.
When a person with depression goes on holiday, they can feel lonely and are more likely to have suicidal thoughts because of the contrast between their daily lives and the beauty of the place they are in.
Between 10% and 15% of patients with recurring clinical depression commit suicide.
Instead of telling someone who is feeling down to take a holiday, it is better to listen to their problems and show more sensitivity and the subject of suicide should not be avoided because such thoughts are a symptom of the illness.
”In most cases, people with depression are willing to talk about their problem,” says Roth-Sackenheim.
Friends and relatives should encourage them to seek professional help, as depression is not simply a passing illness, but a serious condition that needs to be treated.
”A friend or concerned person can thereby possibly help prevent the person from committing suicide,” says Roth-Sackenheim.
An estimated 5% of the population in Germany or about four million people suffer from depression. Women are twice as likely to be clinically depressed than men. – Sapa-DPA