Public-Education Campaign Battles Depression Myths

Acoalition of physician, patient, and community groups is tackling widespread misinformation about depression with a public information campaign emphasizing that the ailment, affecting nearly 19 million Americans, is serious, debilitating, and potentially fatal.

The Depression Is Real campaign, which was launched at a press conference last month in Washington, D.C., will use public service announcements, advertising, and a Web site,<www.DepressionIsReal.org>, to increase awareness of depression and its causes and treatments.

Among the coalition members is the American Psychiatric Foundation, whose participation supports APA's “Healthy Minds, Healthy Lives” campaign.

“A third of all Americans believe that mental illnesses like depression are caused by emotional or personal weaknesses, and almost that number think they are caused by old age alone,” said Altha Stewart, M.D., president of the American Psychiatric Foundation. “We believe we have a responsibility to tell the public the truth about depression—based on scientific evidence and clinical research, not made-up `facts' or wishful thinking.”

Coalition members said the lack of health care reimbursement parity for mental health treatments also trivializes depression and other mental illnesses.

Other coalition members include the League of United Latin American Citizens, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the National Mental Health Association, and the National Urban League. ▪