'I've had depression. It's not taboo'

Natalie Imbruglia, the Australian singer, has spoken out in support of The Independent on Sunday's mental health campaign – and revealed details of her own battle with depression.

In an exclusive interview with this newspaper, Imbruglia, 27, described her frustration with what she called a "bizarre" attitude to mental illness in Britain. She went on to call for greater awareness and understanding among the public – an estimated 15 million people will suffer from mental disorder of some form during their lives.

"I have experienced depression," Imbruglia said last week over breakfast in central London. "It doesn't have to be that big a deal. I don't see depression as a taboo subject or anything bad. I think recognising that it's happening and doing something about it is very brave.

"The stigma attached to it is bizarre," she said. "That's why I think it's important that I talk about it – because if I can tell people that I've been through it, maybe they won't feel so silly that they have."

Imbruglia offered her support for the IoS's ongoing campaign to raise awareness of mental health issues and bring pressure on the Government to improve facilities for sufferers. "I think the fact that you are doing this campaign is great – absolutely," she said. "People should be questioning what's going on in their heads, not denying it. It's about getting to know your own self, getting to understand."

Imbruglia, who first achieved fame through the soap opera Neighbours in the early 1990s, has re-established herself as a successful singer-songwriter over the past five years. Her debut album, Left of the Middle, sold more than six million copies, and she is about to release the third single from her second offering White Lilies Island.

During the interview, Imbruglia was eager to speak about the inspiration and strength she has drawn from the depressive episodes of her life – much of which is reflected in the lyrics on her new album.

"Every time in my life I've gone through that dark place, what I've learnt has produced some of the best memories," she said. "For anyone who is depressed, that's what you need to focus on – that it can be a turning point in your life. You can look back and think 'wow, I grew so much by going through that experience, and it wasn't for nothing'."

Imbruglia went on to praise those who, like her, have recognised and come to terms with their depression.

"I think to do something about it is very brave," she said. "It's one of the bravest things I've ever done: to go and deal with what's going on inside yourself and to grow and learn about those things. It's made me a much stronger person. Most people who have still got depression going on aren't dealing with it – they're just pushing it aside."

The singer and actress, who recently became the face of cosmetics giant L'Oréal, also criticised society's anachronistic attitude to mental illness – something she says is much less pronounced in her native Australia.

"In Australia it's like 'big deal'," she said. "That kind of thing is very open, but I think people here are more embarrassed about it.

"It's a British thing – it's just like 'oh come on, snap out of it, you're fine'. It's about swallowing emotions and not showing things outwardly. Australians are very much more open with how they are emotionally – they are more comfortable with it.

"I don't think you need to pretend to be a certain way and put on a façade. It's like, yeah sure I get depressed, but fundamentally, no matter what job we do, we all deal with fear. We all deal with blocks in our lives and we all get depressed – it's completely normal. You wouldn't be normal if you didn't go through those periods. I find people spooky who never get depressed."