Four in 10 people in Ireland have admitted that they would not want to know if a friend or loved one was suffering from depression, according to research undertaken for the launch of Lean on Me Pharmacy, an extension of the successful Lean on Me depression awareness campaign. The statistic shows that a significant proportion of people still have difficulty discussing the topic of depression openly.
Supported by Lundbeck and the Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU ), the Lean on Me Pharmacy campaign aims to encourage the one in 10 people in Ireland affected by depression to consider their community pharmacist as a source of advice and support.
The launch of Lean on Me Pharmacy is the first step in strengthening this association and making the Irish public aware of the availability and accessibility of pharmacists as a support when living with depression.
President of the IPU, Rory O’Donnell, said: “Community pharmacists are healthcare professionals who are just as qualified to support people living with depression as they are to advise on other chronic physical ailments like diabetes and high blood pressure. While research shows a significant number of people do feel they can approach their pharmacist about depression, we want to reach out to everyone who may have depression, which is why the IPU has joined the Lean on Me campaign.”
