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Depression is a serious medical illness that will affect more than 30 million American adults at some time in their lives. In any given year, 9.5 percent of the population, or about 18.8 million American adults, suffers from a depressive illness. The World Health Organization ranks depression as the 4th leading cause of illness burden worldwide, with predictions of a #2 ranking by 2020. The cost in human suffering is enormous. Depressive illness typically interferes with normal functioning and causes pain and suffering not only to those who have the disorder but also to those who care about them. Serious depression can destroy family life as well as the life of the ill person, with suicide being one of the leading causes of death. Untreated depression can also negatively impact the course of other medical illness (e.g., cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer). It is also frequently associated with other mental disorders such as anxiety disorders and substance abuse. The Asher Center’s primary mission is to develop a program of cutting-edge research that may contribute to a breakthrough in the scientific understanding of the affective disorders and how these findings can best be applied clinically to alleviate the suffering of individuals afflicted with these disorders. The center has an interdisciplinary membership consisting of psychiatrists, psychologists, basic neuroscientists, and core administrative personnel, all of whom are committed to research aimed at improving our understanding of depressive disorders and the development and utilization of improved treatment methods. Central basic science research themes include:
The Asher Center was 1 of 14 Regional Centers in the largest treatment study of Major Depression ever conducted, the NIH-funded Sequenced Treatment Alternatives to Relieve Depression (STAR*D) study. One of the results of this successful multi-site project is the development of the Depression Trials Network, a national depression treatment research infrastructure, of which the Asher Center is also a member. Asher Center scientists also directed the Northwestern site of the NIH-funded multi-site project focusing on the treatment of depression in adolescents, Treatment of Adolescents with Depression Study (TADS). This, too, was a successful project which has already resulted in several important publications in prominent peer-reviewed journals. Plans for continuing research in this area are being developed. Many other depression clinical treatment studies have been conducted and others are in progress in the Northwestern Behavioral Pharmacology Program. Since its inception, the Asher Center has been supported by generous philanthropic contributions, significant federal grants and contracts, foundations, and industry. The center has treated more than 2500 individual patients who, unfortunately, suffer from depressive disorders. Ten graduate students and two post-doctoral fellows have thus far been trained in the Center, along with four psychiatry residents. Depressive disorders are very complex diseases, the understanding of which will require the continuing and expanded efforts of basic and clinical scientists from many fields in order to develop more effective treatment methods. The Asher Center has created and sustained an intellectual environment that stimulates and encourages new idea development and creativity so as to continually advance methods leading toward better diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of depressive disorders. Sincerely, William T. McKinney, MD Disclaimer You have entered a Web site that describes the Asher Center for the Study and Treatment of Depressive Disorders. If you are seeking immediate help for treatment of depression, we recommend that you contact your clinician, physician, or your nearest emergency room.
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