HOW far we have come in the acceptance of human flaws. Where once the stigma attached to mental illness kept the ''black dog'' so deeply in the shadows, we now have more people stepping forward to highlight one of the more significant illnesses in modern society.

Around one million Australian adults and 100,000 young people live with depression each year. On average, one in five people will experience depression in their lifetime one in four females and one in six males.

Andrew Robb is a senior Liberal politician who has shown us that the illness can be managed, in his case for decades. He has admitted he had learned to recognise the times when he was in a depressive state, and work around it. The former federal Liberal Party director and current Opposition spokesman on infrastructure and the Council of Australian Governments, and shadow minister assisting the Leader on emissions trading design, revealed he has been diagnosed with a biochemical disorder known as diurnal variation.

The illness, which affects him after sleep, has been with him since childhood. The mere fact that he has functioned in a high-powered public role for so long shows us the strength of character and resilience that he, and so many other Australians burdened with depressive illness, possess. His revelation this week that the disorder had increasingly taken its toll and that he had thus sought professional help is equally admirable. Both send a clear message: mental illness is not debilitating, it is something that can be managed and lived with; and help, when needed, is readily available and publicly supported.

Many have paved the way for such acceptance. Former Victorian Premier Jeff Kennett (whose counsel Robb sought) has been a leading force behind the organisation beyondblue, which seeks to highlight and address matters related to depression.

Other prominent politicians such as Labor's Assistant Treasurer Nick Sherry, former NSW Opposition leader John Brogden, former West Australian premier Geoff Gallop and our own ACT Attorney-General, Simon Corbell, have publicly discussed their personal battles with depression.

Community figures and celebrities, too, are adding their support to mental health initiatives and opening up dialogues unheard of 20 years ago.

While there are still some in society who fear the unknown or gloss over its significance, more than ever, living with or overcoming mental illness is no longer a shameful secret, or an admission of weak character. Robb can only be applauded for bringing the black dog into the light.