Apr 03, 2017 11:29 AM EDT By Khaleb Skye A. Cruz, UniversityHerald Reporter

The Word Health Organization (WHO) said that over 300 million people in various countries suffer from depression. That is a huge chunk of the global population. In fact, severe sadness is slowly taking control over the world.

Since 2005, Sputnik reported, the rates of depression have increased by more than 18 percent. Unfortunately, a lot of victims do not get treatment because of the lack of support for mental health. Thus, WHO started a massive campaign entitled "Depression: Let's Talk". Basically, experts will try to explain misconceptions about the situations unhappy people are in.

Margaret Chan, WHO's Director-General, said in a statement that nations need to "re-think" their approaches to mental health. Chan even noted that everyone should look at this problem with the "urgency it deserves". The report came in days before the World Health Day, which is set on April 7.

On the other hand, talking to a sad person is often the first step towards recovery. For the record, unhappiness is described as a state of mind wherein an extreme loss of interest or lack of ability to pursue an activity prevails. It raises the risks of major disorders such as diabetes, heart disease, and even suicidal behavior. These ailments are, in fact, some of the world's leading causes of death.

Meanwhile, according to The Guardian, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge joined a project to record short films about modern approaches to mental illness. Prince William and Kate Middleton, together with Prince Harry, stressed that it is always "good to talk". They encourage every man and woman to start a conversation with someone they know suffering from great anxiety.

For fairness, though, people with depression need to be more open about their conditions. A recent royal survey actually indicated that only 2 percent out of 5,000 respondents admitted that they have spoken to human resources at work. In any case, "well" people may want to do the initiative of asking their "unwell" colleagues about their struggles. Besides, the best way to make someone share his or her story is to open up first and let them know someone is willing to listen.

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