Impact of a campaign on the public's attitudes towards depression

Abstract

A public campaign was launched in 2000 as part of the four-level community-based intervention 'Nuremberg Alliance Against Depression' (NAD) in Nuremberg, Germany. Evaluation results will be presented. A baseline survey was done before the campaign in Nuremberg and Wuerzburg (control region), two surveys followed 10 and 22 months after the implementation. Multiple regression analyses were performed, with time, place and the interaction of time and location as independent and the corresponding items as dependent variables. For the general population, the campaign was successful in creating awareness for the NAD. For persons who reported experience with depression and persons aware of the NAD, analyses showed positive desirable effects: more awareness of depression and the NAD. In addition, among those aware, more positive attitudes towards medication treatment and antidepressants developed and also 'lack of self-discipline' declined as causal explanation as did the notion 'pull yourself together' as treatment option. The campaign induced relevant changes mainly in persons aware of the NAD and persons who reported to have had experience with depression. The fact that many of the changes in the general population declined in the second year of the campaign, when activities were done with lower intensity, illustrates the need for permanent depression awareness action.

Are mailouts an effective health promotion strategy? If so, for whom?

“…The perceived relevance of the information is most likely to have impacted on behaviours in response to receiving the mailout in this study as indicated in previous research (Dietrich et al, 2010). For example a small proportion of people who recalled receiving the information reported that they did not read the information as depression did not affect or concern them.…”

“…Although there is growing international literature surrounding the effectiveness of various mental health promotion campaigns (Dietrich, Mergl, Freudenberg, Althaus, & Hegerl, 2010;Rix et al, 1999) and strategies (Highet, Luscombe, Davenport, Burns, & Hickie, 2006;Wright, McGorry, Harris, Jorm, & Pennell, 2006), few have focussed on the impact of direct mail in this context specifically. Furthermore, the factors that are likely to impact on effectiveness of direct mail as a vehicle for health/mental health promotion are not known.…”

“…Furthermore, the factors that are likely to impact on effectiveness of direct mail as a vehicle for health/mental health promotion are not known. For example, having personal history (direct or indirect) of a condition such as depression and/or a prior awarenss of an organization or brand is likely to impact on campaign awareness (Dietrich et al, 2010) and may also influence the effectiveness of promotion via a mailout strategy. Recall and recognition of beyondblue and depression improved substantially across Australia since the establishment of beyondblue: the national depression initiative, compared with recognition prior to its inception (Jorm, Christensen, & Griffiths, 2005), and in the months prior to conducting this national mailout, 69% of Australians were aware of beyondblue (Highet, unpublished).…”

The public perception of depression in Spain

“…Esto puede explicarse porque la población general no distingue la depresión de los trastornos adaptativos e, incluso, de las reacciones emocionales negativas de rabia o tristeza. Por lo tanto, a partir de estos resultados y en sintonía con lo realizado en Alemania 17 , Reino Unido 18 y Australia 19 , se sugiere que las administraciones sanitarias españolas competentes divulguen información de calidad por medio de campañas de información y de formación dirigidas a informar sobre la verdadera naturaleza de la depresión (asociada a recurrencia y discapacidad), a reducir las actitudes estigmatizadoras hacia las personas que padecen esta enfermedad (sobre todo por parte de personas entre 25 y 44 años y de las que están trabajando) y a indicar que la medicación antidepresiva no produce dependencia ni altera la personalidad de las personas. Por otra parte, puesto que la población española prefiere un psicólogo para tratar la depresión, desde aquí se propone que estos profesionales atiendan a las personas que presenten reacciones emocionales negativas y trastornos adaptativos, e intervengan de forma coordinada junto a los psiquiatras en el diagnóstico y tratamiento de los cuadros depresivos.…”

The Prevention of Mental Disorders has a Bright Future

“…Another major direction is to improve knowledge (mental health literacy) and to change attitudes toward mental health and mental illness in general. An example of such a campaign is the Nuremberg alliance against depression (22), which follows several aims at once within a concerted action plan: training and support of family doctors, public relations campaigns providing information about depression, cooperation with professionals and local media, and support for self-help activities and for high-risk groups.…”