What can you do for a friend with depression? Here's your guide to some practical advice from a mental health care professional

The World Health Organisation claims that more than 300 million people worldwide suffer from depression, but it remains a disease that many people do not understand - even if they are affected by it, whether because they personally suffer from it, or because they know someone who does.

Dr Quratulain Zaidi is a clinical psychologist based in Hong Kong. She says that depression is “the experience of sadness or low mood for more than two weeks”.

She explains that it affects everyday life, and can cause symptoms like a loss of interest or pleasure in activities once enjoyed, weight loss or gain, insomnia, drowsiness, feelings of guilt or worthlessness, an inability to concentrate, and even thoughts of ending one’s life.

You may know someone who has depression. It’s natural to want to support them, but there are a few crucial things to bear in mind first.

Listen without judgment

“Listen to your friend, and try to empathise with how they are feeling,” says Zaidi.

Wong, a volunteer at mental health support charity Samaritans Hong Kong, who preferred not to give her full name, says it’s important not to make assumptions based on your own experiences.

“You are likely to have gone through similar situations as your peers, which means it is easy for you to take your own experience into account and make judgments when you’re listening,” she says.

However, some people find it more difficult to cope with bad experiences than others, says Wong. So try to remember that there is no right or wrong way to feel about something.

Often, when we hear a friend’s problem, our first instinct is to try to minimise it. But this can sometimes come across as dismissive, leaving your friend feeling misunderstood, says Wong.