Changes in depression awareness and attitudes in Australia: the impact of beyondblue: the national depression initiative.

OBJECTIVE

To assess changes in depression awareness and attitudes in Australia and the effect that beyondblue: the national depression initiative has had on these.

METHOD

Data from national surveys of mental health literacy in 1995 and 2003-2004 were analysed to see if states and territories that funded beyondblue (the high-exposure states) had greater changes than those that did not (the low-exposure states). In both surveys, participants were shown a depression vignette and asked whether they themselves or family or friends had ever had a similar problem, whether they thought the person would be discriminated against, and questions about the likelihood of long-term positive and negative outcomes for the person. Participants were also assessed for symptoms of psychological distress in the past month.

RESULTS

There was an increase in the percentage of people who said that they or their family or friends had a problem like the person in the vignette. This increase was greater in the high-exposure states. However, there was no change in reports of current psychological distress, suggesting that there is greater depression awareness or openness rather than a real increase in symptoms. People in the high-exposure states also showed an increase in the belief that discrimination would occur. There was little change in beliefs about long-term outcomes, apart from people in high-exposure states believing that a depressed person would be more understanding of other people's feelings.

CONCLUSIONS

The data are consistent with beyondblue having had an effect on awareness of depression and of discrimination against depressed people.