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Advocacy for Depression
Trained professionals in numerous settings diagnose and treat clinical depression:
  • Family physicians, clinics, and health maintenance organizations can provide treatment or make referrals to mental health specialists.
  • Mental health specialists include psychiatrists, psychologists, family therapists, and social workers. Psychiatrists can prescribe antidepressant drugs because they are physicians. Other mental health specialists, however, often work with physicians to ensure that their patients receive the medications they need.
  • Community mental health centers, which often provide treatment based on the patient's ability to pay, usually have a variety of mental health specialists.
  • Hospitals and university medical schools may have research centers that study and treat depression.
National advocacy or consumer organizations provide information about depression, sources of treatment, and local community support groups:
American Association of Retired Persons (AARP)
Widowed Persons Services
Social Outreach and Support
601 E. St. NW
Washington, DC 20049
(202) 434-2260
 
National Alliance for the Mentally Ill
200 North Glebe Road, Suite 1015
Arlington, VA 22203-3754
(703) 524-7600; 1-800-950-NAMI (6264)
 
National Depressive and Manic Depressive Association
730 North Franklin Street, Suite 501
Chicago, IL 60610
(312) 642-0049; 1-800-826-3632
 
National Mental Health Association
1021 Prince Street
Alexandria, VA 22314-2971
(703) 684-7722; 1-800-969-6942

INFORMATION ON DEPRESSION

For more information on depression, diagnosis, and treatments, write to:
National Institute of Mental Health
6001 Executive Boulevard, Rm. 8184, MSC 9663
Bethesda, MD 20892-9663

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Public Health Service
National Institutes of Health
National Institute of Mental Health

NIH Publication No. (ADM) 95-4033 Printed 1995

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT DEPRESSION
WRITE TO: 
DEPRESSION
6001 Executive Boulevard, Rm. 8184, MSC 9663
Bethesda, MD 20892-9663
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