My Depression, Your Depression – Same Name, Different Stories
Digital storytelling to open up understanding, reduce stigma, and connect science with lived experience
Project Overview:
Depression is a common condition with many faces—experienced differently by each person and studied from diverse scientific and clinical perspectives. This project brought together four groups—researchers, adults with lived experience, parents of young people with mental illness, and young people themselves—to co-create digital stories exploring depression in their own words.
Facilitated by Patient Voices, these video stories were created with full editorial control by the storytellers. They have since been shared in scientific, public and policy spaces to deepen understanding, challenge stigma and open dialogue. From walking tours to workshops, the project reached audiences across Scotland and beyond—offline and online.
Team:
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Dr Iona Beange – Knowledge Exchange Officer, University of Edinburgh
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Professor Andrew McIntosh – Chair of Biological Psychiatry, University of Edinburgh
Goals & Activities
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Empower people with lived experience of depression to tell their stories
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Support researchers to engage with the public and reflect on their work in new ways
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Use digital stories to stimulate reflection, empathy and insight at events and exhibitions
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Bring together families, researchers, students and young people through storytelling
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Challenge stigma and encourage open, safe discussions about mental health
Project Outputs
Digital Stories Platform
- View the stories at Patient Voices – My Depression, Your Depression.
Interactive Walking Tours
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Mindful, story-led routes combining lived experience, research reflections, and wellbeing activities.
Workshops & Public Events
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Screenings with live discussion and reflection activities. Mentimeter word clouds captured audience reactions like “moving,” “brave,” “hopeful,” and “unique.”
