MCW Offers Information, Tools to Recognize Depression

Recognizing and treating depression will be the focus of the second annual Depression Recognition Day at the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) Thursday, October 10, from 12:00 am–6:00 pm.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, nearly one in ten Americans has experienced depression in their lifetime. Five percent have recurring bouts of depression, and half of the people impacted by depression will never seek medical help.

As part of Mental Illness Awareness Week, the public is invited to attend two one-hour discussions. At 12:00 pm, Dr. Christopher Butson, an associate professor of neurology and neurosurgery in MCW’s Biotechnology and Bioengineering Center, will discuss neuromodulation therapy for depression. These new treatments utilize a variety of technologies to treat depression, including transcranial magnetic stimulation and deep brain stimulation.

At 5:00 pm, Dr. Karole Kuslak and Dr. Elizabeth Lampe, both of MCW’s department of psychiatry and behavioral medicine, will present “Depression as a Community Issue: Perspective from Patients, Family, and Practitioners.” Through a panel discussion, participants will learn from patients and those who love them about the effects of depression on the family unit.

In addition to the lectures, mental health professionals at MCW will offer free materials about depression, including a self-rating tool.

Depression Recognition Day is sponsored by the MCW department of psychiatry and behavioral medicine in memory of Charles E. Kubly and in collaboration with NAMI Wisconsin.

Discussions will be held on the first floor of MCW’s Medical Education Building, located at 8701 W. Watertown Plank Road. Parking is available directly across the street in the visitors’ parking lot.

Admission is free and open to the public; however, for planning purposes, please R.S.V.P. 414-955-7250.