Richmond Foundation is calling on those suffering from depression to reach out for help.

“Let us remember that depression is an illness, an illness which affects many people’s lives but, with the right support and treatment, depression can be managed,” the foundation said.

It referred to the recent tragedy where a pilot of low-cost airline Germanwings crashed a plane into the French Alps after locking himself in the cockpit of the Airbus 320 and deliberately steering it towards a mountain, killing all 150 people on board. Prosecutors found a sick note showing he suffered a health condition that would have prevented him flying the day of the crash.

Depression does not necessarily make you unfit to work

The foundation, which offers support to people who suffer from mental health problems, said the tragedy raised a lot of questions, which resulted in a “barrage of stigmatising, and fear-mongering media reports”.

Depression was among the most common of mental illnesses and experienced by about 20 per cent of adults. It could affect anyone from all walks of life.

Many successful people experienced depression, including Winston Churchill, Abraham Lincoln, Mozart and Charles Dickens, and there was virtually no evidence to suggest that people with depression posed a danger to others because of their illness, the foundation said.

“Having depression does not necessarily make you unfit to work,” it added.

For more information contact Richmond Foundation on 2144 0324.