Mental Health Equity

UICDR is a multidisciplinary science/medical collaborative for advancing mental health research of depression, bipolar and other mood disorders. UICDR is devoted to destigmatizing depression and bringing it into the mainstream of medical research, healthcare, education, and public policy. Through its innovative team science approach, UICDR advances the treatment and understanding of depression that affects an estimated 17 million adults in the U.S. For the past five years UICDR has provided comprehensive and compassionate care for children, adolescents and adults; transforming more than 49,000 patients’ lives annually, through innovations in prevention and treatment for depression and bipolar disorders, and reducing suicide risk. As a national leader in defining and advancing high-quality depression care and suicide prevention, the UICDR is positioned to address the mental health crisis the state of Illinois currently faces. 1.5 million people in Illinois live with serious mental illness. According to the most recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), suicide in Illinois has risen 23 percent, and is now ranked as the 11th leading cause of death in the state. The prevalence of depression in Illinois has increased, as it has globally, catapulting depression to the number one cause of disability worldwide. This crisis has come at a staggering cost; estimates place the economic cost of untreated depression/behavioral health in the state to be more than 1.4 billion dollars a year. By combing scientific research, clinical care, inventions and public awareness UICDR will create a model of suicide prevention and education that is poised to take a major role in the future of how we should approach the causes and treatment of depression. UICDR’s pioneering science accelerates research by decades potentially saving many lives, improving countless others, and reducing the overall cost of health care in the process.