title: The impact of a depression awareness campaign on mental health literacy and mental morbidity among gay men.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  High prevalences of depression and suicidality have been found among gay men. This paper assesses the possible impact of Blues-out, a depression awareness campaign based on the European Alliance Against Depression targeting the gay/lesbian community in Geneva, Switzerland.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 2007 and 2011, pre- and post-intervention surveys were conducted among two distinct samples of gay men in Geneva, recruited by probability-based time-space sampling. Effect sizes and net percent changes are reported for mental health literacy and mental health outcomes in 2007 and 2011 as well as among men aware and unaware of Blues-out in 2011.
  
  
  RESULTS
  43% of the respondents correctly recognized depression in 2011 with no change vis-à-vis 2007. Despite small effect sizes, significant net decreases (from -18% to -28%) were seen in lifetime suicide plans, 12-month suicidal ideation, lifetime depression, and 4-week psychological distress between 2007 and 2011. These decreases were not accompanied by changes in any of the numerous items on attitudes/knowledge, found only when comparing men aware and unaware of Blues-out in 2011. More men aware of Blues-out found specialists and psychological therapies helpful than their counterparts and correctly identified depression and gay men's greater risk for depression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Community-level assessment with no control.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although improvement in depression recognition and decrease in suicide attempts could not be replicated unequivocally in this adapted intervention among gay men, there are indications that this evidence-based depression awareness campaign may have lessened suicidality and mental morbidity and improved mental health literacy and help-seeking.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Zurich, Hirschengraben 84, CH-8001 Zurich, Switzerland. jwang@ifspm.uzh.ch
authors.forename: Jen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Häusermann
authors.forename: Sylvie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Berrut
authors.forename: Mitchell G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Weiss
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003625:Data Collection; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D003866:Depressive Disorder; D057220:Health Literacy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006293:Health Promotion; D018451:Homosexuality, Male / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D015995:Prevalence; D059020:Suicidal Ideation; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology; D013406:Suicide, Attempted; D013557:Switzerland; D055815:Young Adult; D000092864:Suicide Prevention
keywords: Depression; Homosexuality; Intervention; Mental health literacy; Suicidality