Depression: Out of the Shadows

Approximately 18.8 million American adults have a depressive disorder. Depression comes in many forms, strikes all socioeconomic groups, stalls careers, strains relationships, and sometimes ends in suicide. Yet depression is a disease surrounded by silence. Despite the ease with which we say the word in everyday conversation, a stigma continues to hang over this prevalent illness. Depression: Out of the Shadows is a multi-dimensional public-television project that explores depression’s complex terrain. Personal narratives dominate this beautifully photographed documentary, allowing those who suffer from depression to tell us their stories with an emotional honesty seldom seen on the television screen. Doctors, therapists and researchers address various forms of the disease with clarity, compassion and scientific rigor. And an understated, insightful narration ties everything we see and hear together, making this documentary a cogent testimony to the complexity of this devastating mental disorder. The project features a destination website at pbs.org, a nationwide promotional campaign, and an educational outreach program. For helping to de-stigmatize a crippling disease, Depression: Out of the Shadows receives a Peabody Award.