According to the World Health Organisation, depression has risen 20% in the last ten years. Depression is the second leading cause of disability in the world. Only 4% of the world is diagnosed with it, and when diagnosed, less than half of the people are properly treated.

In Italy, 4.5 million people suffer from depression and the 57% are women.

My mom is one of them. Inspired by the work of impactful photographers, I am using my camera to reflect on something personal in order to understand and process my feelings properly. I then developed the desire to share the journey that my family is undertaking and connect with others. The more I dig into the topic, the more I understand there is no specific reason for mental diseases to occur.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness says that researchers suspect there are many factors, such as genetic, biological, reproductive, hormonal, abuse, oppression, interpersonal and personal characteristics that can trigger depression.

Women have a decisive role in society. We are mothers, workforce, partners, and mostly, individuals that need to function correctly as much as any other gender. We raise children and are the first source of education for any human being. It is crucial to have a stable state of mind.

The stigma that mental health carries have a burden that we are all paying for. By reading the statistics, I can’t help but realize how important it is to talk about this in an open and honest manner. Working on this project allows me to do so. My desire is to de- demonize the monster that is affecting so many families beside mine. It is mandatory we address and face this problem.

“Barriers to effective care include a lack of resources, lack of trained health-care providers, and social stigma associated with mental disorders.”- World Health Organisation. Through this project, I want to push the issue in the front row.

The Swing