DraftFCB | 2008 Agency of the Year

National Depression Initiative :: The Journal

Why Change?

The first phase of the Ministry of Health Depression campaign featuring by John Kirwan had succeeded in reducing stigma and reluctance to seek treatment for depression. The Ministry of Health now wanted to empower people experiencing mild depression to learn how they could help their own recovery.

What Changed?

We created an online programme, where people experiencing depression could learn the skills they needed to improve their mental health. The techniques range from changing the way they think, to improving their diet. Many of the topics are messages other health programmes have already covered, so we needed a way to cut through with an engaging perspective.

The Journal is the first mental health programme in the world to combine media, e-learning and call centres into one seamless solution. Early research indicates we are getting a higher than average completion rate, the key challenge for e-health programmes globally, and anecdotal feedback has highlighted a powerful impact on people's lives.

Since its introduction…The Journal has seen a 500% switch from people who would normally visit their GP.