5 great Ted Talks about Depression

TED conferences have been presenting “Ideas Worth Spreading” for some 30 years now, but the online video revolution has boosted their cultural impact enormously. We find them an invaluable resource here at iRise Psychology and wanted to share with you five of our top ted talks about depression and mental health related issues.

Zindel Segal | The mindful way through depression

The co-author of The Mindful Way Through Depression and co-developer of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy talks about meditation and depression.

Dan Gilbert | The surprising science of happiness

The author of Stumbling on Happiness reexamines the idea that unhappiness comes from not getting what we want. Our “psychological immune system” lets us feel truly happy even when things don’t go as planned.

Ruby Wax | What’s so funny about mental illness?

Diseases of the body enlist sympathy, says comedian Ruby Wax — except those of the brain. Why is that? In her uniquely humorous, energetic and articulate way, Wax, diagnosed a decade ago with clinical depression, urges us to put an end to the stigma of mental illness.

Stephen Ilardi | Depression is a disease of civilization

Psychology professor at University of Kansas draws on research and clinical practice to examine the depression epidemic in modern society.

Andrew Solomon | Depression, the secret we share

“The opposite of depression is not happiness, but vitality, and it was vitality that seemed to seep away from me in that moment.” In a talk equal parts eloquent and devastating, writer Andrew Solomon takes you to the darkest corners of his mind during the years he battled depression. That led him to an eye-opening journey across the world to interview others with depression — only to discover that, to his surprise, the more he talked, the more people wanted to tell their own stories.