CAMPAIGN MISSION: to deliver a message of hope and recovery to millions of Americans suffering from clinical depression by educating them that clinical depression is a medical illness which can be successfully treated; by helping them to recognize the symptoms of the illness; and by encouraging them to seek help and treatment.

Over the last several years, the Campaign has built a strong foundation of educational programs aimed at increasing public awareness about clinical depression. Now, the Campaign moves into the next phase - encouraging people to seek treatment.

There are several tools to aid directors in accomplishing the campaign goals, including A set of television and radio public service announcements on clinical depression airing nationwide, a toll-free phone response system custom designed by AT&T that provides callers with information on the symptoms and treatments of depression and referrals to local mental health associations. This service will also connect callers to the National Depression Screening Day locator line. It can be accessed by dialing 1-800-228-1114.

These tools are be instrumental in helping Campaign Directors meet their goals. The goals are: increasing the number of people who are screened for depression by incorporating screenings into educational programs, increasing participation at National Depression Screening Day, and recruiting large corporations for the Employee Telephone Access Program; increasing media coverage on the issue of clinical depression and treatment; conducting education programs among target audiences including women, older Americans, African Americans and workplace; and building and strengthening local coalitions. Campaign Directors will also work with the local chapters of key national organizations that represent this year's target audiences (see chart) to strengthen outreach efforts to those at greatest risk for clinical depression and encourage them to seek treatment.

Clinical depression is one of the most overlooked, yet devastating, illnesses affecting employees, their families, and employers. Employers are hit hard by the costs associated with employees suffering from untreated depression. Clinical depression costs the U.S. $43.7 billion annually, including $23.8 billion from absenteeism and lost productivity.

Despite the high economic and human costs, employees often avoid seeking treatment and employers fail to recognize the signs of a depressed employee. Employees often believe they can handle depression on their own, or are unaware they are depressed. Even if an employee wishes to seek treatment, fear of lack of confidentiality and the concern that treatment may be viewed negatively can prevent them from seeking help. Business may be reluctant to get involved because of the increased utilization of mental health benefits.

In 1996, employee assistance professionals ranked depression third among the top ten workplace problems, following family crisis and stress. The rankihng came out in a survey conducted by the Employee Assistance Professionals Association (EAPA) in partnership with the National Mental Health Association's Campaign. The EAPA members listed increased medical claims for physical illness, increased absenteeism, conflict with coworkers, and decreased productivity as the worst implications of a depressed employee.

These findings emphasize the need for the Campaign on Clinical Depression to work even harder with its national partners to motivate employers to get involved; to educate employers and employees about the nature of clinical depression, and the need for treatment and to aggressively let employees know that seeking treatment for clinical depression will not affect their job status.

Much of EAPA's increasing involvement in the issue of clinical depression in the workplace has occurred because of the organization's leadership role in the workplace initiative for the Campaign. In this capacity, EAPA has been cosponsor of the Employee Telephone Access Program and has also worked with the National Institute of Mental Health and the Washington Business Group on Health to create a training program entitled, "In Good Company." The program is designed to help EA professionals recognize workers who have symptoms of depression.

EAPA also commissioned the above-referenced depression survey which resulted in media stories on depression in the workplace on CNN, CNBC and all three major television networks.

"By creating a workplace environment where employees feel comfortable coming forward with problems like substance abuse and alcoholism, these problems have been confronted. EAPA has been working for the past three years to create the same workplace environment when it comes to recognizing and treating depression," said Sandra Turner, EAPA member who represents EAPA in the Campaign's workplace initiative.

With the help of EAPA and other Partners such as the Society of Human Resource Managers (SHRM, the national trade association for human resource professionals) the Campaign will continue to reach out to employers in 1997 with the message that "your business can't afford untreated clincal depression."

SHRM's monthly magazine, HR magazine, now contains depression resources and statistics in "fast facts," a reference sheet for HR managers that is inserted in the magazine each month. Until Campaign leaders partnered with SHRM, there were no facts on depression available to HR readers. The magazine goes to 70,000 members (representing over 60 million employees).

These two Campaign partners are creating workplace environments where employers are more comfortable dealing with depression instead of avoiding it. The national Campaign will also be reaching out this year to the organizations representing the interests of managed healthcare, to encourage their member-companies to become proactive in recognizing and treating clinical depression in its earliest stages.

Some local campaign directors are holding screenings year round. Here are some ideas for expanding your screening opportunities.

Georgia: Chuck Waldron organized a screening seminar for the Vietnam Veterans of America attended by over 50 people. He is following up with a depression awareness and screening program at the Veteran's quarterly meeting.

Kansas: Carol Manning screened over 100 people at a local mall.

Indiana: Russ Kennedy screened over 100 people at a local college.

Alabama: The Mental Health Association in Montgomery, AL participated in a health fair at the local mall and screened over 50 shoppers. One 28 year old woman who stopped to listen went to the Mental Health Association booth to be screened following the presentation. She was diagnosed with severe depression and immediately sought help with referrals from the MHA. She had been fighting various physical ailments for some time and was sinking into deep despair. She thanked the MHA months later for their public presentation and said that the screening had saved her life.

Delaware: The Delaware MHA, a new local chapter, has launched a campaign to educate Americans about depression in the workplace. The Worksite Education Program, organized by Ellen Spoeher, Depression Campaign Director for MHA in Delaware, consists of two components: first, an on-site seminar entitled, "Beyond Stress," which educates employers and employees about when and how to get help for depression. So far, this workshop has been presented to over 1500 employees in DE. The second component brings together worksite administrators, benefit managers and human resource personnel to share ideas regarding mental health practices in the workplace. For more information on this nationally recognized model program, contact Crystal Simms at 302-656-8308.

The National Mental Health Association has unveiled a new name and logo for its public education efforts on clinical depression. The new name, "Campaign on Clinical Depression," replaces the previous one, "The National Public Education Campaign on Clinical Depression." The old name was deemed too long to resonate with--and be remembered by--the general public. Additionally, a new logo was designed for the Campaign. Meant to be largely symbolic, the logo's elements include a stylized "column" representing education grounded in research, awareness and treatment and the illumination the Campaign can bring to those suffering from clinical depression. Optimistic in its design and bright colors, the new logo will be featured in all future Campaign materials.

In 1997 one of the priorities of the Campaign on Clinical Depression is to get more people suffering from depression into treatment. Research shows that only about one third of the people who suffer from depression ever seek treatment, often because they are unaware they are clinically depressed. Expanding confidential screening opportunities is one way to increase the number of people who seek treatment. One of the most successful screening venues is the Employee Telephone Access Program (ETAP).

ETAP is an interactive computerized telephone system that provides employees and their families the opportunity to take a free and private self-test for depression. ETAP provides callers with the results of their test immediately and if the caller tests positive for depression, ETAP provides them with specific referral information.

Employers are quickly finding out that early detection, diagnosis and treatment of clinical depression can save employers from the lost productivity, absenteeism and morale problems associated with depression that goes undetected and untreated. First introduced in 1995 for three month intervals, the program has been so popular that ETAP will be expanded in 1997 t6o provide year-round screening opportunities to participating employers.

More than 75 national emplyers already offer ETAP to their employees, including Bell South, Amoco Corporation, Digital Corporation and Sprint Mid-Atlantic. Employers who participated in 1995 found that about 5% of employees participate in the screening test. When companies aggressively promoted the screening, participation rose as high as 13%. Nearly 90% of the employees who werescreened and scored positive for depr5ession were not in treatment, including 70% of those who scored in the sever range.

To learn more about ETAP, please call the National Mental Illness Screening Project at 617-239-0071.