The people who run the Ministry of Health Twitter handle have managed to land the ministry in hot water again. The Ministry of Health Twitter handle, which came under fire for associating good health with vegetarianism was at it again with an insensitive post on depression.

The Ministry of Health’s official Twitter handle wrote: “Depression is a state of low mood that affects a person's thought, behaviour, feeling & sense of well-being. One must take up activities that keep him or her boosted in order to cope with depression. #SwasthaBharat #MentalHealth #LetsTalk”

#Depression is a state of low mood that affects a person's thought, behaviour, feeling & sense of well-being. One must take up activities that keep him or her boosted in order to cope with depression. #SwasthaBharat #MentalHealth #LetsTalk pic.twitter.com/UJR3X7GwL2 June 26, 2018

Mental health remains a taboo topic and the stigma attached to it is such that it stops people from seeking treatment. The MoH, in all its infinite wisdom, decided to tweet several ‘tips to beat depression’ which included these:

Follow a routine

Go for walks

Travel

Be Creative

Sleep for Minimum 8 hours

Stay clean

Practice yoga

Stay clean

Take multi-vitamins

On the other hand, it failed to mention the most important treatment about the ailment, that is seeking therapy or clinical help. It appears to treat depression as a normal mood swing as opposed to a mental health ailment. This is ironic because Prime Minister Narendra Modi had last year encouraged people to speak up during his March Mann Ki Baat speech. This speech wasn’t unnoticed by the WHO and Dr Bekedam praised the prime minister. “The theme this year is 'Depression: Let’s Talk' and it brings forth an opportunity to focus attention on mental health issues, especially depression, which is the single largest contributor to global morbidity,” he said.

According to WHO, “Depression is the leading cause of ill health and disability worldwide. More than 300 million people are now living with depression, an increase of more than 18% between 2005 and 2015.”

Depression is a common mental disorder, characterized by persistent sadness and a loss of interest in activities that you normally enjoy, accompanied by an inability to carry out daily activities, for at least two weeks.

In addition, people with depression normally have several of the following: a loss of energy; a change in appetite; sleeping more or less; anxiety; reduced concentration; indecisiveness; restlessness; feelings of worthlessness, guilt, or hopelessness; and thoughts of self-harm or suicide.

Depression is treatable, with talking therapies or antidepressant medication or a combination of these.

Here's how Twitter reacted:

#Depression is a state of low mood that affects a person's thought, behaviour, feeling & sense of well-being. One must take up activities that keep him or her boosted in order to cope with depression. #SwasthaBharat #MentalHealth #LetsTalk pic.twitter.com/UJR3X7GwL2 — Ministry of Health (@MoHFW_INDIA) June 26, 2018

Another fantastic example of ministry of health stupidity...after the ridiculous healthy food images the tips for depression here don't include counselling or therapy but includes 'be creative ' https://t.co/vissblSmxU — Chandrika Rao (@chocandcheese) June 27, 2018

When the popular narrative forces you to talk about mental health on official social media, but you cannot be bothered to learn even the definition of depression. Normalising or trivialising? https://t.co/zBdrko9B9c — Kritika Narula (@Kritika_n_books) June 26, 2018

Are you kidding me? https://t.co/FgeqJFZkvD — Tattulya Gayan (@tattulya) June 26, 2018

Guys this is THEE OFFICIAL advice given by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of India for depression. Sahi tho hoga! @MoHFW_INDIA https://t.co/8bkcGNpEQN — Roache Material (@gunsandroches) June 26, 2018

they got me at "be creative" and "think positive" so many 'options' and yet to no space to consult a therapist https://t.co/wkH8BmYpnX — Varun Raj (@blurr_warun) June 26, 2018

Kela khao, depression gaayab. Thanks yaa, I never thought of this only. #DoYouEvenDepression https://t.co/rTxSPGfcSE — Tanisha R (@captainamygdala) June 26, 2018

surprised they didn't suggest homeopathy. why doesn't the government consult actual mental health experts before putting out such stuff? https://t.co/DkdA7IFbtX — Nishtha // David de Gea is my #1 (@RootKanal) June 26, 2018

NO @MoHFW_INDIA travelling, being creative, walking, eating fruits, thinking positive and all of the other stuff DON'T HELP in depression. It is a severe disorder impacting mood, functionality and everything about the individual. Please don't trivialize it.#DepressionIsNotAJoke https://t.co/rQFA8VD4vP — Feminist Sita (@feministsita) June 26, 2018

Asking someone in depression to think positive? What? Also they are blatantly trivializing depression. https://t.co/xmhTwFs1hz — ROHAN (@rohanyunas14) June 26, 2018

With inputs from WHO