Depression and Apathy: What’s the Difference?
In recent times, depression and apathy have become prominent buzzwords in the field of neuropsychiatric disorders. With good reason too: the Hong Kong Happiness Index Survey of 2016 conducted by the Faculty of Business of Chu Hai College and Lingnan University saw the index fall to the lowest in a decade; while results from a survey in 2019 issued by the Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine at the University of Hong Kong showed that the prevalence of depression has reached unprecedented levels.
Beyond the local scale, it comes as no surprise that depression and apathy are among the leading causes of global burdens of disease. Statistics by the World Health Organisation estimate that more than 300 million people, across all age groups, suffer from clinical depression.
One reason that contributes to the prevalence of these two mental disorders is its diagnosis. More specifically, the inaccuracy of its diagnosis.
Both depression and apathy are relatively common conditions with overlapping core symptoms, hence it is easy for physicians and therapists to misattribute their patients’ condition. Considering that even medical practitioners are prone to making errors in diagnosis, it is especially troublesome for caregivers such as friends or family members. Caregivers may attempt to console and support the sufferer, but the lack of understanding regarding the reality of the condition may cause the sufferer to feel misunderstood, which is often a frustrating experience.
Knowing this, a clarification between the two conditions appears to be necessary. To be precise, what exactly is the difference between depression and apathy?
Depression is a mental state characterised by sadness, low self-esteem and futility. It is not the same momentary feeling of sadness we feel after experiencing a bad day; it is a perpetual state of negative emotional distress. Patients tend to exhibit anxiety, feelings of worthlessness, as well as recurrent thoughts of death. Depressed individuals also negatively perceive themselves, their current circumstances and their future prospects. This form of dysfunctional thinking is subsequential to the withdrawal from all potential challenges with the expectation of failure, which manifests as a decreased interest in daily activities and a tendency to retreat from social situations.
On the other hand, apathy is defined as the persistent loss of motivation and disinterest in all activities. Apathetic individuals constantly feel a lack of effort or energy to complete everyday tasks, often neglecting their hygiene or diet. Sufferers also show detachment or indifference to ongoing experiences and personal news. Because of their loss of motivation, they find difficulty in taking voluntary action, becoming passive and indifferent about their condition. This is perhaps the most dangerous aspect of apathy - affected individuals are not incentivised to seek help, leading to the worsening of their condition and dominating their daily functioning.
Depression and apathy are both defined by symptoms which causes affected individuals to withdraw from help and lose interest in daily activities. For physical symptoms, both conditions may cause sufferers to show a loss of energy and appetite, resulting in declining wellbeing.
The biggest line that separates depression and apathy is the patients’ response to sadness. While in depressed people it comes in the form of anxiety and emotional distress, apathetic individuals find it hard to elicit feelings of sadness. Naturally, this applies to similar feelings of grief and sorrow. Depressed people may also show comorbidity to anxiety, agitation and irritability, which is not present in apathy.
For caregivers to help an individual affected with depression or apathy, communication and time are the most prominent considerations. Caregivers must ascertain the symptoms the individual is showing, being prudent to notice any indication of sadness. For a sensitive topic such as a suspected mental disorder, caregivers must always approach the affected person with patience; they should not be too hasty in their judgment but must seek professional help if symptoms persist. Most importantly, reach for help immediately if the person shows signs of suicidal thoughts or self-harm.