Living with Depression: Function, Activity and Participation

Abstract

This paper represents an attempt to understand the experience of someone living with a major mental disorder. It begins with a brief description of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) (World Health Organization 2001), which will be used as a framework for understanding how a health condition can affect a person’s lif.The ICF will then be used to structure an account of an individual living with depression. The paper concludes with some reflections on how services are delivered and the effect that this can have on how a person manages her or his health condition.