What to do if a friend is depressed: hot topics and practical suggestions on the Internet in the past 10 days
Recently, the topic of mental health has once again become the focus of attention across the Internet. Depression is a common mental illness, and how to help friends around you has become a hot topic. This article combines the hotspot data of the past 10 days to provide structured suggestions from the perspectives of symptom identification, response methods, and resource recommendations.
1. Statistics of mental health hot topics across the Internet in the past 10 days

| Ranking | Topic keywords | Discussion popularity (10,000) | Main platform |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | early signs of depression | 125.6 | Weibo, Zhihu |
| 2 | How to comfort a depressed friend | 89.3 | Xiaohongshu, Bilibili |
| 3 | Psychological assistance hotline | 76.8 | Douyin, WeChat |
| 4 | antidepressant diet | 52.1 | Douban, Kuaishou |
| 5 | Misunderstandings about accompanying depression | 41.7 | Today's headlines |
2. Identify 5 key signs of depression symptoms
According to the latest data from the Chinese Mental Health Association, patients with depression often exhibit the following characteristics:
| Symptom type | Specific performance | frequency of occurrence |
|---|---|---|
| emotional symptoms | Persistent depression and loss of interest | 92% |
| Physiological symptoms | Insomnia/drowsiness, sudden changes in appetite | 78% |
| cognitive symptoms | Decreased concentration, feelings of self-blame | 85% |
| behavioral symptoms | Social avoidance, self-injury tendency | 63% |
| somatic symptoms | unexplained pain | 41% |
3. 3-step action guide to help a depressed friend
1.Effective communication skills: • Use the sentence pattern "I noticed you recently..." (avoid questioning) • Listen attentively for 15 minutes every day (reduce interruptions) • Avoid ineffective comfort such as "be more open-minded" (use "I care about you" instead)
2.Emergency handling:
| risk level | Countermeasures | Contact information |
|---|---|---|
| Mild | Make an appointment for psychological consultation | 12320 health hotline |
| Moderate | Accompany medical treatment | Psychiatric Department of Tertiary A Hospital |
| Severe | 24 hours supervision | Dial 120/110 |
3.Long term support plan: • Develop a work and rest schedule together (including three meals and sleep time) • Encourage participation in light exercise (such as walking for 30 minutes every day) • Use mood tracking APP (recommend "MoodTools")
4. Precautions and common misunderstandings
According to survey data from Beijing Huilongguan Hospital: • 73% of patients reported that they resented being urged to "get better quickly" • 68% of their companions had mistakenly used stimulation techniques • Professional treatment combined with support from relatives and friends can increase the recovery rate by 40%
It is recommended to record the status changes of friends every week. The following is an example of an observation table:
| Date | sleep duration | Social times | Sentiment score (1-10) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 6h | 1 time | 4 |
| wednesday | 7h | 2 times | 5 |
| Friday | 8h | 3 times | 6 |
5. Recommendation of extended resources
1. Book: "Getting Out of Depression" by Richard O'Connor 2. Podcast: NetEase Cloud Music's "Psychological Emergency Room" column 3. Online community: Depressed Persons Alliance (WeChat Mutual Aid Group)
Remember: Helping a depressed friend requires a combination of patience and professional guidance. If you find that your friend's symptoms persist for more than 2 weeks, please be sure to help him or her seek professional medical help.
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