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Which torture would you prefer?
I recently came across an interview I did back in 2008 for Business Day with Murphy Marobe, then CEO of Kagiso Media. As a young man, he was a political activist and became a target of the apartheid security police, who apprehended and tortured him. When the interview wrapped up and we were saying our goodbyes, I asked one final question: “You mentioned they used different kinds of torture – mental and physical. Which was worse?” His answer has stayed…
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Why I am interested in the topic of depression
In a previous life I did a year of psychology at Wits, while getting a BA degree. Yet I don’t remember a word of it. Nor did I learn anything I can recall benefitted me in dealing with life, post university. I am now writing a book on depression and am experiencing déjà vu as I read reams of complex academic explanations on how the brain processes and uses information leading to incidences of depression; nothing sticks. I’m not being…
Giving a voice to a silent pandemic
BackABuddy campaign
I have launched a BackABuddy campaign to raise funds to finish my book on depression – There are no depressed people in a sinking lifeboat.
I believe this book will be of great help to many.
While biological, psychological, and social explanations of depression are acknowledged, the book focuses on something often missing from the conversation: agency, coping, and recovery – how people can reduce the debilitating effects of depression, regardless of its origin.
‘What mental health needs is more sunlight, more candor, more unashamed conversation.’ — Glenn Close, actor
You can catch david gemmell’s interview on chai fm 101.9 here
five things to know about depression
key facts
- An estimated 3.8% of the world’s population experiences depression.
- Women are more likely to be diagnosed with depression than men.
- Depression and anxiety are estimated to cost nearly US$1-trillion annually due to lost work days (World Health Organisation – WHO).
- Globally, more than 75% of people in low- and middle-income countries experiencing mental disorders, including depression, receive no treatment (WHO).
- Suicide is a significant risk factor associated with depression. It is the fourth leading cause of death in 15-29 year olds.
© David Gemmell 2025
David Gemmell 