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

Abstract

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 ..