Europa Melancholia
Depression, fears, insecurity – they are increasingly creeping into all areas of life, yet stay some of the biggest taboos of our generation. They can be our entertainment and part of our entourage – we’ll often pay to watch these themes being depicted on the big screen or discuss how it might have affected someone in our circle of friends or colleagues. But we can also suffer from a real burnout syndrome at work or after leaving our erasmus experiences abroad behind. So when does sadness or melancholy transform into real depression? Nearly 40% of Europeans suffer from psychological disorders, says one of the newest pan-European studies on the issue, which we have taken as inspiration for this week’s special edition. Are our hectic ‘lives on the edge’ or too individualistic lifestyles the reason? Failing to take the psyche seriously in Europe is also the question we’ll ask next week during our collaborative broadcast ‘Europa plus’, which we run weekly together with the German TV channel ZDF - if you have something to say, visit our theme page www.cafebabel.co.uk/europaplus
‘Nos plusieurs’: autistic theatre stars meet Indian epic in French documentary
In filming a theatre production performed almost entirely by young people with learning difficulties, French director Fred Soupa blurs the boundaries of what we typically perceive as ‘normal’. His ensuing documentary ‘Many Of Us’ is released in national cinemas on 28 September
Depression: ‘alcohol abuse is far more common in eastern and northern Europe’
Is Europe more depressed than it used to be? Professor Frank Jacobi from Berlin’s psychology college (PHB) took part in a European neuropsychopharmacology magazine study from 30 countries, revealing that 38% of Europeans suffer from psychological illnesses. The figure is up from 27% in 2005. Interview
Brussels: Spanish expat on depression taboo
Brussels is home to over 25, 000 employees of the European institutions, some of whom are reputed to suffer from stress and drink addictions. One employee confirms the myth
Cinema psyche: the enemy is within us
Black Swan, Melancholia, A Dangerous Method; recent screen outings seem to feel the need to place psychological disturbances at the heart of their storylines. Depression, personality disorders, feelings of inadequacy and suicidal tendencies are but a few of the themes dealt with by the great Aranofskys, Von Triers and Cronenbergs of today
One third of Europeans suffer from mental illness: really?
On 6 September a controversial sounding report from the European college of neuropsychopharmacology revealed that 38.2% - of the EU population as well as people from Switzerland, Iceland and Norway - are not quite right up there. Four psychologists from Poland, Spain, France and Italy give cafebabel.com their verdict
Post-Erasmus syndrome: SOS distress
Erasmus = a riotous life abroad of non-stop parties and lovemaking. But once they’ve returned, the majority of students experience a low period, a mixture of nostalgia and apathy. Is this the end of innocence?
university, students, travel, society, psychology, studies, erasmus
