About Our Organisation

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Our Vision

Depression Alliance Scotland is working towards a future where depression is recognised, understood and acknowledged to be a common and treatable medical condition, just like any other. We are striving to ensure that those affected by depression and their carers are provided with the information, support, understanding and care needed for the best quality of life.

Our Aims

1. To bring a user group and community perspective to progressing national mental health policies in relation to depression in particular in respect of awareness raising, information dissemination, self help, self management, improving support and treatment and the reduction of stigma.
2. To improve the wider understanding of depression and challenge the stigma associated with the illness.
3. To provide a national information and signposting service in Scotland working collaboratively with statutory and voluntary sector agencies to support those affected by, and working with depression
4. To promote positive mental health in Scotland by encouraging and supporting self-help, mutual support, self-management and recovery from depression.
5. To encourage and assist research into the prevalence, causes and treatments of depression.

The reason DAS is needed

The World Health Organisation states that depression will be the second greatest disease burden in the Western World by 2020 (1) .  In Scotland there are already significantly worrying indications of this:

1. In Scotland in 2003, the estimated number of consultations with GP’s where depression was a contributory factor was 719,400 (2) .  This does not include consultations with health visitors, practice nurses or district nurses.
2. In 2004, the estimated number of the population in Scotland with depression seen by GP’s was 321,000 showing increase of around 20% from previous year (3).
3. In 2004/05, around 3.4 million prescriptions for antidepressants were issued in Scotland at a cost of £58,000,000 (4) This demonstrates an increase of 26% in the prescribing rates of antidepressant medication over the last 5 years. To this can be added the economic cost of lost working days and welfare benefit claims due to depression.  It is of great significance that the recent NICE guideline for England found CBT to be at least as effective as SSRI’s in the treatment of mild depression.  This provides evidence for the need for non pharmacological interventions in the management of the illness.
4. Male suicides, on an upward trend for 30 years, became double the UK average in Scotland in 1998 (5) and the rate of suicide in Scotland rose by 26% in the 10 years between 1991 and 2001(6). Significantly, 70% of recorded suicides are by people who have experienced some form of depression (7) .

These disturbing trends are based on figures drawn from known referrals and diagnoses within the health services. It can be surmised however, as practice evidence within DAS would indicate, that the actual incidence of depression within the general population is somewhat higher. Many of our callers do not figure in the statistics. They struggle through their depression without seeking medical help, for fear of stigma and discrimination in areas of their lives such as applying for employment or a mortgage, or job loss through accruing a higher than average level of sickness at work.

Depression is more than a mood disorder; it is known to be linked with an increase in serious physical conditions such as coronary heart disease.
Depression impacts adversely on personal relationships and the welfare of family and carers.  It is difficult to quantify such devastating effects, but it should be recognised that the quality of life of all of those affected by the illness is disrupted and at times destroyed.

1. Information and Statistics Division Scotland-continuous morbidity recording 2004 back
2. Information and Statistics Division Scotland-continuous morbidity recording 2004back
3. Information and Statistics Division Scotland 2004 back
4. Information and Statistics Division Scotland-continuous morbidity recording 2004 back
5. Information and Statistics Division Scotland- Mental Health in Scotland-2002 back
6. Samaritans back
7. Faulkner A. “Suicide and deliberate self-harm “ Mental Health Foundation 1997 back