Sound On

Mikä Sound on?

Sound on -kampanjan tarkoituksena on lisätä tietoisuutta masennuksesta ja edistää paremman hoidon saatavuutta. Kampanja kannustaa ihmisiä puhumaan aiheesta, jotta masennukseen liittyvä häpeän taakka poistuisi.

Manifesto

Depression is not a cause for shame, and people should not be expected to cope with it on their own. Depression is responsible for unlived lives, unfulfilled dreams and undone work. In its most severe form, depression can be deadly.

Moderate and severe cases of depression are treated too passively in Finland and patients find it hard to receive treatment.^[1] This leads to disability pensions and sick leave, causing Finnish society an annual cost totalling billions of euros.^[2] It is time to join forces to tackle this issue.

We must break free of the culture of silence and have easier access to help – because a shared burden is a lighter burden.

We need to unmute. We need to turn the sound on to make depression heard.

About depression

Every fifth person in Finland suffers from depression at some point in their lives.^[3] There are different types of depression – mild, moderate and severe – specified according to the severity of the symptoms. Depression, as a mental disorder, involves a long-term lowering of mood, as well as other symptoms involving thoughts, feelings, behaviour and the entire body. Once depression is recognised, it can be efficiently treated.^[4]

Moderate and severe depression in Finland is treated too passively, leading to a rise in the number of disability pensions. Reports show that less than one third of the patients that have applied for disability pensions have received active care combining various forms of treatment.^[5] It is essential that we focus on the recognition, prevention and more active treatment of moderate and severe depression and offer patients easier access to help.

Dignity community

Peer support and the sharing of experiences are the keys to recovery for anyone suffering from psychiatric problems. To exchange thoughts in a safe, confidential and understanding environment, please contact the help lines or online chat of the Finnish Central Association for Mental Health.

Why blue?

Besides its connection with a certain melancholic undertone, blue is also a vibrant, pure, primary colour representing trust and optimism.

As such, it conveys an elevated and bold feeling, free from shame or stigma.

Why sound?

Sound is a powerful medium. It is represented in the Sound on campaign in its most immersive form as an original composition and sound installation by media and sound artist Ava Imogen Grayson. Her work portrays a world where compassion, open-mindedness and thoughtfulness are present in both ourselves and the beings around us.

There is maturity and courage in the ability to accept depression as an experience that we, or someone we love, may go through one day. We all know someone who has been affected by depression at some point in their lives, whether we realise it or not.
-
As with many other difficult life situations, communication, empathy and support are the only ways that we can transcend an affliction like depression, transforming it into a source of learning, connection, and meaningfulness.