"Shame leaves me crawling on my knees" - how people with depression experience shame

The purpose of this article is to shed light on how people with a diagnosis of depression experience shame. Research indicates that shame plays a significant role in relation to most mental disorders and several studies show that shame is a central emotion in depression. Due to the significance of shame for people struggling with mental illness, it seems important to continue to contribute more knowledge. The article is based on a hermeneutic phenomenological study of how people with depression experience shame. Eighteen people with moderate depression were interviewed in depth. The analysis work, inspired by van Manen's hermeneutic phenomenological analysis method, showed that the participants experience shame related to the body and to relationships. Because shame is life-threatening and painful for the participants, it is important that nurses understand bodily expressions of shame and what can be a language of shame.