A community symposium organized by the UC Mood Disorders Center – Conquering Depression: Different Approaches for All Ages – packed the room November 15 at the Daniel Drake Center for Post-Acute Care.

The guest speaker was Carol Williams, news anchor for WCPO-TV. She shared news stories that she has covered, and she talked about the difficulty of finding people willing to openly discuss mental illnesses because of the stigma surrounding these disorders. She observed that people are often afraid to speak openly about their issues because they fear they might lose their job or their friends.

Then she discussed her own experiences. She talked about how she personally dealt with anxiety early in her career, and about how she helped friends and loved ones who were affected by depression and Tourette’s syndrome. She noted how important it was for her to learn from others who had shared experiences. She also noted that, for her, focusing on helping other people instead of focusing on her own goals was helpful.

For her years as an outspoken champion of mental health issues, Caleb Adler, MD, and Melissa DelBello, MD, MS, Co-Directors of the Mood Disorders Center, presented Ms. Williams with the Center’s Award for Mental Health Advocacy. “Through her work, she has made a major and contributing impact on understanding mental illness and combating stigma in the tri-state area. Today, we honor Carol for her achievements,” Dr. Adler said.

Topics at the conference included depression at different points in the life cycle – from depression in children, to post-partum depression, to depression as we age – as well as discussions of medications, using mindfulness to address symptoms of depression, and approaches to treating depression without medications:

•    Treating Depression without Medication – By Debra Schroeck, MS, PA-C
•    Parting with Post-Partum Depression – By Jyoti Sachdeva, MD
•    Depression – The “Mindful” Way Out – By Richard Sears, PsyD, MBA
•    When Your Child Has Depression – By Jeffrey R. Strawn, MD, FAPA
•    Medication 101 – By Erik Nelson, MD
•    Depression as We Age – By Muhammad Aslam, MD

To view slides from the symposium, click here >>

– Audrey Ronis-Tobin