Patrick J. Kennedy launches depression center

Mental health advocate Patrick J. Kennedy

WHO:

Mental health advocate Patrick J. Kennedy and University of Illinois at Chicago department of psychiatry head Dr. Anand Kumar will join patients, faculty and staff to launch the new Center on Depression and Resilience.

Kennedy, who served 16 years as a U.S. congressman from Rhode Island, is co-founder of One Mind for Research, and founder of the Kennedy Forum.

WHAT:

The University of Illinois Center on Depression and Resilience brings together a multidisciplinary team of caregivers to reduce the stigma of depression, detect illness, discover novel biomarkers, build resilience, reduce the risk of suicide, and provide comprehensive and compassionate care for the treatment of depression and mood disorders.

The Center is a member of the National Network of Depression Centers (NNDC), a consortium of 21 leading clinical and academic centers of excellence to transform clinical, educational, research, and advocacy programs in mood disorders.

WHEN:

Tuesday, Oct. 21
4:30 – 5:30 p.m.

WHERE:

UIC College of Medicine Research Building
Moss Auditorium
909 S. Wolcott

WHY:

An estimated one in 10 U.S. adults report depression, and as many as 35,000-40,000 people with depression die by suicide each year — yet the disorder is severely undertreated.

The World Health Organization estimates that by the year 2020 depression will be the second leading cause of disability worldwide.

The University of Illinois Center on Depression and Resilience provides care for young children and adolescents through adults and elderly patients. Areas of expertise include child and adolescent depression, late life depression, women’s mental health, suicide, diabetes and depression, neuro-imaging, anatomy and functional markers of mood disorders, prevention of mental health issues for at-risk urban children, and combat-related depression as it relates to traumatic brain disorder and post traumatic brain disorders.