Perhaps the denial results from a public attitude that depression itself is too depressing to think about. Depression comes in many forms. Some people are born predisposed to it, while others become seriously depressed only after some severe stress or emotional shock. Manic-depressives go through dramatic mood swings, from elation to hopelessness. Persons with depression may not feel sad, but simply empty.
Depression is alarmingly widespread in the general Canadian population.
BC teachers with 6 to 20 years' experience would fall in that age range. Assuming they are typical of the general Canadian population, then, almost two hundred male teachers and almost a thousand female teachers experienced major depression that year. If so, about 10 per cent of our 36,000 teachers are dealing with depression. But he admits his union hasn't broken down its statistics on why teachers go on extended leave for illness reasons. A Quebec survey suggests stress and depression are major reasons.