Problem

Depression affects 19 million American adults annually. Approximately 12 million women in the United States experience depression every year — roughly twice the rate of men. Up to one-half of all visits to primary care physicians are due to conditions that are caused or exacerbated by mental or emotional problems. In the workplace, depression is associated with a 50 percent increase in missed worked days.

The Gift

NMHA works with more than 70 national organizations—both in and outside the health care field—for whom depression and its treatment represent an important concern for their memberships. NMHA forms partnerships with community groups to educate diverse populations about depression, promote screenings, and generate local media coverage. NMHA also hosts an online depression screening tool – www.depression-screening.org. Since 1992, this effort has helped hundreds of thousands across the country recognize depression, get needed treatment, and resume productive, fulfilling lives. We have reached out to parents and caregivers with a Back-to-School program that supplies practical information about child and adolescent social/emotional development; we provide Back-to-Campus kits to help train resident assistants in recognizing mental health problems in freshman students; and we provide and distribute information on such subjects as reaching out to military personnel, and training volunteers for dealing with victims of crime or national disasters, such as hurricanes.