Depression Awareness Intensive Campaign.
- GOOD HEALTH AND
WELL-BEING
Issue
A lack of understanding about depression created an environment where patients found it difficult to seek help from those around them.
According to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, the number of depression patients increased 2.5 times from 1999 to 2008, reaching 4 million when including undiagnosed cases. This increase is partly due to a societal misunderstanding that depression is a personal issue or a condition affecting only specific individuals, creating an environment where patients find it difficult to seek help.
Approach
Implementation of a campaign to disseminate knowledge about depression and promote accurate awareness.
In Toyama Prefecture, which has a higher-than-average number of hospitalized mental health patients, we collaborated with businesses to launch an awareness campaign called the “Toyama Depression Project.” With the tagline “Depression is a condition we heal together,” the campaign promoted understanding and awareness of depression through TV commercials, newspaper advertisements, and other media.