UBTV’s new film highlights issue of depression among students

This week, UBTV launched another features video, this one targeting the issue of depression amongst students.

The video features the inner monologue of a student suffering from depression. She speaks of her struggles with communicating about her condition with others, and the general feeling one has when suffering from depression.

The film finishes with some hard-hitting facts about depression in the UK, explaining that one in four people suffer from some form of depression, and this number may be significantly higher amongst students.

The Tab caught up with the films’ producers, Gemma Wilson and Alex Wilkinson, and asked them about their project.

Gemma: “A lot of films made are a bit of a joke, but we thought depression was a more relevant topic. I lost a friend to it just before Christmas, and I think when something like that happens you look at yourself and ask what more you could have done.

It can be easy to get caught up in the buzz of uni and forget about those who may need help and care.”

Alex: “We chose to do the film the way we did to make it more raw and real. Hopefully it will stand out to people watching it.”

Gemma: “It surprised me just how many people suffer from depression, a quarter of society and perhaps more in students as there’s so many people at uni and people feel like they can get lost.”

“There is no media coverage of mental health issues, but it needs to be treated as a disease or illness like cancer. We have a ‘stiff upper lip’ approach in Britain that needs to change.”

Alex: “There’s definitely a stigma attached to mental health, and people often don’t realise that feeling low and down is something that needs to be dealt with, rather than brushed over.”

Below is a link to the video, which was released last week.

If you have any issues or questions as a result of the video, be sure to contact student counselling, or alternatively call Bristol Nightline, a student listening service, on 01179 266 266.