Sir –  In an important feature on depression and mindfulness (Minded to make a difference, April 10), journalist Matt Oliver writes: ‘So, depression is not just an unfortunate blight on society, it is also an expensive one’.


As a noun, the Concise Oxford English Dictionary defines blight (among other things) as ‘any obscure malignant influence’ and as a verb ‘to exert baleful influence on, frustrate, wither, mar’.


Is Mr Oliver saying by extension that those who suffer depressive illness, or other mental illnesses, ‘exert baleful influence’ on society. Is he confining himself to depressive and mental illness only, or would he go on to say that all illnesses and all those who suffer illness are ‘an unfortunate blight on society’? And a drain on society’s finances to boot?


Or can it be hoped that in Oxford we live in a humane world which long ago repudiated the crude degrading language Mr Oliver seems to embrace and endorse?


Whether applied to depression only, Mr Oliver’s sentence quoted above is shocking and deplorable and should not have appeared on the pages of The Oxford Times, laden as it is with prejudice and malign judgement.
Perhaps Mr Oliver could explain what was in his mind when he wrote these 16 truly wretched words? And how in earth did they get beyond editorial scrutiny?


Bruce Ross-Smith, Headington