Media Advisory

Friday, January 19, 2007

Soaring Economic Costs from Depression a Global Issue

What: Dr. Thomas R. Insel, Director, NIMH, will present on the prevalence and global burden of depression, its enormous economic impact, and new advances in treatment at the World Economic Forum annual meeting. Depression is the leading cause of medical disability for people worldwide age 15-44 according to the World Health Organization’s World Health Report on the global burden of disease. Depression is common among the world’s population, resulting in significant economic costs. Dr. Insel will also participate in two additional sessions — one that focuses on funding for mental health research and innovation, and another that addresses urbanization from a public health perspective.

Why: The World Economic Forum Annual Meeting, “Shaping the Global Agenda — The Shifting Power Equation.” The World Economic Forum is an independent international organization committed to improving the state of the world by engaging leaders in partnerships to shape global, regional and industry agendas (http://www.weforum.org/en/events/AnnualMeeting2007/index.htm). The annual meeting is the Forum’s flagship event that engages leaders from business, politics, religious groups and non-government organizations to shape the global, regional and industry agendas.

When: January 24-28, 2007

Where: Davos, Switzerland

More Info: To arrange for an interview contact Mary Partlow, NIMH Press Office, 301-443-4536. Dr. Insel will be available for interview on-site or by phone.

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) mission is to reduce the burden of mental and behavioral disorders through research on mind, brain, and behavior. More information is available at the NIMH website: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.

NIH…Turning Discovery Into Health®

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