WHO initiative on depression in public health
WHO has recently launched an initiative on Depression in Public Health. The objectives and planned activities of this project are explained below.
Overall objective: To reduce the impact of depression by closing the substantial 'treatment gap' between available cost-effective treatments and the large number of people not receiving it, worldwide.
Specific objectives:
- To educate patients, family members, providers, and policy makers about depression.
- To reduce the stigma associated with depression.
- To train primary care personnel in the diagnosis and management of depression.
- To improve the capacity of countries to create policies supportive of improving care for depression and to provide effective management of depression in primary care.
Activities:
- Global, regional, and national events to increase awareness of depression.
- Production and dissemination of resources for improving depression care.
- Regional and national workshops to strengthen the capacity to care for depression.
- Multi-site intervention studies to improve the primary care for depression.