Age Wise
Can We Prevent Depression?
Self-care strategies to use before depression gets the best of you
This is the first in a four-part series on preventing depression, a serious and growing mental disorder that can strike at any age and, if untreated, persist and worsen.
Naomi Osaka’s withdrawal from the French Open — precipitated by “huge waves of anxiety” the 23-year-old feels over obligatory press events and the “long bouts of depression” she says she has dealt with since 2018 — highlights the reality of the shadowy world of depression, an increasingly common condition that can sneak up on any of us, at any age, for reasons obvious or mysterious.
Osaka’s decision to “exercise self-care,” as she put it, is wise beyond her years. And without pretending to understand her experience or suggest what she should do, I see her challenges as raising an important question that’s more relevant than ever before: Are there effective strategies to prevent the onset of depression?
The short answer: Absolutely, at least to some extent for most people.
The longer answer: Prevention strategies ranging from relatively simple self-care to professional therapy sessions can reduce, but not necessarily eliminate, the risk of developing depression. But the earlier in…
