Deepika Padukone Opens Up About Struggle with Depression and Why She’s ‘#NotAshamed’ of Mental Illness

Actress Deepika Padukone shared her struggle with depression in a powerful message on Instagram on Wednesday, in honor of World Mental Health Day.

In a video posted to her account, Padukone discusses being diagnosed with clinical depression in 2014 and the need to destigmatize mental illness.

In 2014, I was diagnosed with clinical depression,” Padukone said. “But in India, 90 per cent of people who suffer from depression don’t seek help. Depression is like any other illness that requires intervention.”

Padukone is now encouraging others to feel free to share their stories about mental illness without stigma, by using the hashtag, #NotAshamed. Since her diagnosis, the actress has been involved in actively spreading awareness about mental illness, including founding the Live Love Laugh Foundation to promote mental health care.

See Padukone’s posts about mental health below.

As for America, clinical depression diagnoses have spiked since 2013, according to a 2018 report by Blue Cross Blue Shield.