“Since my wife passed away and since I’m on my own, I had quite a few dips. You get depressed. It’s like living in hell.”
–Bruce
Retired WWII veteran
Press release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Men Get Depression
A new special premieres on public television in May 2008
Washington, DC – In the country leading the world in medical science, several million men have an illness that is potentially fatal, wrecks careers and families in addition to its victims, and goes untreated 50 percent of the time.
Men Get Depression is a one-hour HD documentary presented by KCET-TV that explores the corrosive effect of depression on the self, relationships and careers through the intimate profiles of real men, including a former NFL Quarterback, a Fortune 500 CEO, an Iraq War veteran, a university professor, a pastor and others.
“Men often feel weak or ashamed, that it’s not manly to feel sad,” says Producer and Director, Grady Watts. “We hope this program will show men that they are not alone and that treatment can make a big difference in their lives and in the lives of the people who love them.”
The documentary is dramatically structured in four acts: 1) ‘Putting a name on it’ - men awakening to the awareness that something is gravely wrong that they can’t control. 2) ‘Not just me, but also those around me’ – an exploration of depression’s collateral damage, pain and injury to relationships. 3) ‘I need help and it’s okay to ask for it’ - personal accounts acceptance that help is needed and experiences with both medication and talk therapy. 4) ‘Treatment works’ - how sticking with treatment has changed men’s lives, relationships and careers.
State of the Art, an Academy Award® winning communications company, developed and produced all elements of the Men Get Depression Campaign. Their work is focused on using media to promote social change in health and education.
“State of the Art began developing Men Get Depression more than 6 years ago,” says company President, Gerardine Wurzburg. “We were motivated by the recognition that stigma towards depression and other mental illnesses is deeply entrenched in American society and that it particularly deters awareness and treatment among men.”
The team has extensive experience addressing mental health issues, stigma, cultural barriers and improving understanding of treatment. Several leading experts also contributed to the program. Dr. John Greden, Director of the University of Michigan’s Depression Center, gives a perspective on recent neuroscience research findings on the relationship of stress and depression. Dr. Francisco Fernandez of the University of South Florida reflects on his experience providing care to his Latino patients. And John Head, author of “Standing in the Shadows: Understanding and Overcoming Depression in Black Men,” shares his own personal experience with the disease and its effects on his family.
The documentary, which includes a Spanish SAP track, is the centerpiece of a national bilingual campaign to increase awareness of depression, reduce stigma, and prevent suicide. The outreach materials include three videos for men of different ages and their families and a resource booklet with a discussion guide for group facilitators. All resources are available in English and Spanish. The campaign websites, www.mengetdepression.com and www.depresionyloshombres.com, provide extensive resources and program clips.
The Men Get Depression broadcast special release is May 2008 for Mental Health Awareness Month by distributor American Public Television (APT). APT has been a prime source of programming for the nation’s public television stations, distributing more than 300 new program titles per year. APT has established a tradition of providing public television stations with program choices that strengthen and customize their schedules, such as Domingo Pavarotti in Concert, Winged Migration, Battlefield Britain, Globe Trekker and other prominent documentaries, dramatic series, how-to programs, children’s series and classic movies.
The National Institute of Mental Health funded the research, development and evaluation of the outreach media materials through grant number R 44MH063511-02A2. Additional funding for the Symposium, Broadcast and Outreach Plan was provided by: Wellpoint Foundation, Charles E. Kubly Foundation, Josiah Macy, Jr. Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Community Voices: Healthcare for the Underserved at Morehouse School of Medicine, and Carson J. Spencer Foundation.
PBS Home Video will be distributing a DVD that contains the broadcast program and all of the outreach materials in English and Spanish for $24.99 plus shipping and handling. The DVD can be ordered at 1-800-PLAY-PBS or www.shopPBS.com.
Check local listing for broadcast times.
Contact:
Ali DeGerome
State of the Art Inc.
www.stateart.com
tel: 202-537-0818 ext 24 or cell: 202-262-5701
email: mengetdepression@stateart.com
