Sport and prevention to fight the scourge of female depression
Taipei (AsiaNews) - Female depression is a growing problem in Taiwan, involving some 1.2 million women. In order to address it, the John Tung Foundation (董氏 基金会) presented a study of the issue at a press conference. Through the national press, it also presented a number of remedies to put into practice before full-scale therapy becomes necessary.
The Foundation, led by Ye Yaxin (叶雅馨), conducted a survey last summer. The results, based on a sample of 2,850 women, showed that 12.4 per cent showed clear signs of depression.
Based on these numbers, and with additional data from other surveys in different regions of Taiwan, analysts believe that 1.19 million Taiwanese women are in need of treatment or support to deal with the problem.
At the press conference, Ms Ye did not simply present data, but also highlighted one of the most effective solutions for the treatment and prevention of depression: sports.
Starting from the questionnaire, she actually showed what remedies women can take to fight this physical and psychological condition. The answers that topped the list are "clean the house", followed by "putting things in order ", "do the housework", "watch TV", "watch a movie"," talk to other people," "rest and sleep", "use the phone or other means to communicate with others" and finally "do sports."
Ye Yaxin stressed this factor, explaining that a number of scientific studies show that engaging in sports for at least six months reduces the chances of suffering from depression.
According to the Foundation's own research, those prone to depression either do not practice sports or do so very infrequently. For this reason, it announced a non-competitive cycling race for this Sunday to help people become free from the scourge of depression (解 开心 锁 转动 快乐 的 单车 活动).
The young and dynamic TV star Janel Tsai (蔡淑臻) will be the initiative's spokesperson to encourage women to fight this debilitating mental condition. "Don't let sadness and depression change your life!" is the event's proposed slogan.
"It should be noted," Ye Yaxin concluded, "that with regard to overall statistics, the number of women in the world who suffer from depression is twice that of men. For this reason, we must be particularly attentive to our mental health".
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