Jane Pauley to Host Post-Broadcast Panel Discussion

Comprehensive Look at Depressive Disorders Focuses on Individual Experiences – Including a CEO, a Successful Entrepreneur, a Gang Member and a Journalist – Along with Leading Medical Experts

•Documentary to Promote Dialogue on Depression Through Public Awareness Campaign in Partnership with the National Alliance on Mental Health and the YMCA of the USA

DEPRESSION: Out of the Shadows, is a 90-minute documentary about clinical depression that will air nationally on public television stations on May 21 (check local listings).  Written, produced and directed by Larkin McPhee and produced by TPT and WGBH, DEPRESSION: Out of the Shadows tells the dramatic stories of people of different ages, from diverse backgrounds, who live with various forms of depression - and explores the causes and treatments.
 
“Depression is one of the most debilitating illnesses on earth, and yet people are ashamed to talk about it,” says McPhee.  “This is a medical illness that can devastate lives, ruin relationships and keep people from achieving their dreams.”
 
Following the broadcast of DEPRESSION: Out of the Shadows, veteran journalist Jane Pauley, who wrote about having a bi-polar disorder in her autobiography Skywriting: Out of the Blue, will host a nationally televised panel discussion with mental health experts to discuss the issues raised in the film.
 
In order to create a more open dialogue about depression, and reduce the social stigma that prevents many people from seeking professional help, TPT, under the PBS initiative, TAKE ONE STEP: A PUBLIC HEALTH CAMPAIGN, has secured two national partners, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and the YMCA of the USA, to participate in a major public outreach initiative.  This will include screenings and panel discussions in major cities and on college campuses, a multi-media Web site that will provide a vast array of research material and resources on depression, and summits organized by local PBS stations across the country that will encourage mental health providers to strategize with public and private institutions.
 
DEPRESSION: Out of the Shadows is a production of Twin Cities Public Television (TPT) and WGBH Boston. For more information, visit www.wgbh.org.