Depression can affect anyone…Don’t suffer in silence
EMBARGOED UNTIL 00.01hrs MONDAY 11TH OCTOBER 2006
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New campaign spearheads depression in Scotland
As Mental Health Week gets underway today (9 th October), NHS Lothian have teamed up with Edinburgh University and mental health charity Depression Alliance Scotland to launch a campaign targeting depression in Lothian.
By working with local partners, Lothian Alliance Against Depression aims to raise awareness of depression and broaden the options for people living in Edinburgh & the Lothian’s who suffer from depression.
LAAD will be officially launched on Wednesday at a day seminar for health professionals where there will be presentations and examples of community based approaches to the management of depression in Lothian. The key message of the campaign entitled “Mother, father, son, daughter...” is that depression can affect anyone at any time. Posters with this message can be seen on buses and in community settings.
Depression in Scotland is a common medical condition, which often leads to intense feelings of sadness and despair, and affects 1 in every 5 people at some time in their lives.
Depression in Edinburgh and the Lothian’s is one of the most common reasons for people to visit their GP, but it is estimated that as many as 75% of people with depression do not seek help from their doctor. This can be because many people mistakenly believe that depression is a sign of weakness, or an inability to cope, rather than realising that depression is a common and treatable illness.
Linda Irvine, Mental Health strategic programme manager, NHS Lothian, said:
“I am very excited about NHS Lothian becoming part of this European wide project. I believe this awareness-raising campaign will attempt to change ingrained attitudes to depression, which is a common and generally treatable illness but is often under reported due to the stigma attached to it. By bringing all the essential partners together we can work toward improving mental health and mental health awareness in the Lothian’s.”
Gregor Henderson, Director of National Programme for Improving Mental Health and Wellbeing Health, Scottish Executive, said;
“We are pleased to be supporting the evaluation of this important work in Lothian. It is an example of good practice that other parts of Scotland can learn from, and is based on evidence of what works best for tackling depression in our communities. The integrated approach of increasing understanding of depression and what helps, along with training for key front line agencies, good access to services and helpful resources is a huge step in the right direction and demonstrates that mental health improvement work in Scotland is growing in momentum. We wish the Lothian Alliance every success with this work.”
Ilena Day, Chief Executive for Depression Alliance Scotland , said: “Depression is a very common illness, but unlike other common illnesses, such as asthma or diabetes, depression has a stigma attached to it which prevents many people with depression from seeking help. The stigma takes many forms such as being perceived as being weak, or unable to cope and can make it difficult for people with depression to talk openly about their illness with their family and friends. This also includes employers and work mates for fear of affecting their relationships or career prospects.
It is important for people to realise that seeking help to understand their depression is the most important step toward improving their quality of life.”
Margaret Maxwell, Senior Research Fellow in Primary Care Mental Health, Edinburgh University , said:
“The message of Lothian Alliance Against depression is that depression is everyone’s business – so the initiative not only involves healthcare professionals but many others in the community. Especially those who, in the course of their work come into contact with people with emotional problems. We want to help them recognise when someone might need help and have some understanding of the various options open to people. We also want the general public to be more aware of depression, either for themselves or families, friends and neighbours.”
LAAD is also a partner in the European Alliance Against depression, a project funded by the European Commission which includes 18 European regions working together to share information and resources to improve the diagnosis and treatment for people with depression and reduce stigma.
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS
- NHS Lothian, Edinburgh University and Depression Alliance Scotland supported by the National programme for mental Health and Wellbeing launches the new campaign to spearhead depression in Scotland
- The “Mother, father, son, daughter…” campaign is based on materials originally developed by Depression Alliance Scotland
- The National programme for Improving mental health and Well-being is part of the Scottish Executive’s drive for improving health and achieving greater social inclusion.
There are four main aims:- Raise awareness and promote positive mental health and well-being
- Eliminate stigma and discrimination in relation to mental ill health
- Prevent suicide and support people bereaved by suicide
- Promote and support recovery from mental illness/mental health problems
The National Programme is providing support funds for the Lothian Alliance Against Depression as an exemplar project to help provide insights and learning effective community and population based approach to mental health improvement.