Why Stormzy Talking About His Depression is So Important

The appearance of grime artist Stormzy on Channel 4 news to discuss his battle with depression is a gamechanger. The first true superstar that the grime scene has produced, he is loved by young mainstream audiences for his attitude and fierce rhyming style, respected by those from my generation who grew up listening to 90s hip-hop for his witty lyrics and poignant delivery and revered by disaffected inner-city kids of all races who see him as a role model, telling stories they can relate to. Stormzy has managed to attain the holy grail of retaining his credibility and becoming commercially successful; mass appeal plus serious cool.

So for someone in his position to speak out about the pain and suffering of an illness that many still see as a sign of weakness is tremendously important. Grime culture is steeped in machismo and displays of strength much like hip-hop; the contrast between the accepted norms of this world and an admission of suffering from depression is stark and similar to the visceral challenge to the status quo presented by the sublime Moonlight in its portrayal of homosexuality in black American ghettoes.

Stormzy has quite rightly won universal praise for taking this courageous step. The track Lay me Bare on his album Gang Signs and Prayer outlines the self-doubt and pain of depression with honesty and vulnerability. The lyrics like "Like man’a get low sometimes, so low sometimes, Airplane mode on my phone sometimes, Sitting in my house with tears in my face, Can’t answer the door to my bro sometimes" speak to the misery and self-isolation of depression. In the interview, he reflects: “If there’s anyone out there going through that, I think that for them to see that I went through it would help.” He’s right; his words are far more powerful for a young audience than those of any healthcare professional or government agency.

Depression is the largest cause of disability in the world today, with more than 300 million people suffering globally. I see the most severe end of the spectrum in my work as a psychiatrist; people feeling severely low who may have lost the will to live, but that is only the tip of the iceberg. There are hordes of people with depression being treated by GPs and perhaps even more who suffer in silence, quite possibly due to the previous misconceptions described by Stormzy the idea that you should be able to "get on with it"

Depression is of course a well-defined illness, caused by genetic and environmental factors that manifests through a dysfunction in brain chemistry (neurotransmitters such as serotonin and noradrenaline) that can be treated with medication and therapy. Those of us who work in the field of mental health are still waiting for the day when this is widely accepted and depression is approached in the same way as physical illnesses.

There are certain steps that someone suffering from a mental illness such as depression must go through to get the help they need. Firstly they need to be aware of the symptoms of depression  low mood and energy, sleep and appetite disturbances, loss of interest in things they usually enjoy, poor concentration, feelings of guilt, hopelessness and worthlessness and maybe suicidal thoughts and behaviour  to recognise that they have a problem. Secondly, a belief that this constellation of symptoms is an illness and not a sign of weakness (or as some may believe, a spiritual affliction) is imperative. Finally, they must overcome the internal and external barriers that prevent them from seeing a professional.

Where we can all help with this process is by making efforts to reduce the particularly challenging external barrier of stigma surrounding mental illnesses such as depression. Public figures such as Stormzy speaking out go a long way in this regard by showing people that anyone can be affected even confident, talented stars, but we can all do our bit by talking more openly about mental illness and showing compassion and understanding to those affected.

The most encouraging aspect of Stormzy’s comments is the effect they could have on black men, and whether they choose to seek help for mental illness. Mental health services have a troubling history of provision for black people; undertreated in the community, over-represented on psychiatric wards, more likely to access services through coercive pathways and less likely to access help themselves. We have a long way to go in addressing this, but it is crucial that we do, especially since various factors including the social, political and economic disadvantages faced by black and other minority ethnic groups leave them at greater risk of developing certain mental illnesses.

To facilitate help-seeking we must repair this relationship; services must work more collaboratively with minority communities, support volunteer organisations and provide better community in-reach programmes. Targeted campaigns enlisting the help of role models like Stormzy could also help raise awareness of the symptoms of mental illness and challenge illness beliefs.

One of the insights offered by Stormzy in his interview was that his depression led him to a "realisation of how fragile we are as humans" We are indeed, and I am hopeful that his comments will make seeking help easier for those suffering who idolise him. With discussion of increased funding for mental health services firmly on the agenda, we must ensure that black and minority ethnic communities are not left behind if this extra cash ever materialises, and those seeking help are met with culturally competent and adequately resourced services catering for their specific needs.