‘Talk About It’ campaign spreads depression awareness

The long-sleeved T-shirts are black with vibrant lime green lettering.

“Talk About It,”… The long-sleeved T-shirts are black with vibrant lime green lettering.

“Talk About It,” they say.

These shirts are part of a growing effort to help spread depression awareness at Pitt through programs and events developed by the “Give Depression a Voice: Talk About It” campaign.

The Talk About It campaign, formerly known as “Talk to Me,” is in its third year at Pitt and is evolving at a time when depression and suicide have become prominent in the national media following tragedies at universities across the country.

“The program was created to save lives,” said Rachel Davis, Pitt student and committee chair of Talk About It. The “Give Depression a Voice” initiative will wind down at the end of November.

Talk About It is a committee made up of 28 Pitt students, 10 staff members from the University and four representatives from Lead Pittsburgh, a depression education and awareness organization, Davis said.

“We develop programs that work to educate students on what depression is, what depression’s symptoms are, what behaviors are exhibited by someone considering suicide, what students should do if they believe someone they know is depressed or suicidal and what resources are available within the community and campus,” Davis said.

Resources available to Pitt students include the Pitt Counseling Center, which is located on the third floor of the William Pitt Union and offers appointments and evaluations to all students, and Western Psychiatric Institute, which specializes in helping students deal with severe mental health issues, and is located in front of the Petersen Events Center.

Another resource is the T-shirt itself, Davis said. The shirts are free for students, and those wearing them have resource cards and will talk to any student about the Talk About It campaign and depression. Also, the phone number for the counseling center is on the back of the T-shirts: 412-648-7930.

James Cox, director at the Counseling Center, said there has been an increased number of Pitt students visiting the center for mental health concerns this year. The increase occurred before the Talk About It campaign started during National Depression Awareness Month in October.

Cox said that between 450 and 550 students seek help from the Counseling Center each week, and 35 to 45 percent of these students have some type of mental health issue, Cox said. Cox said 20 percent of the students with mental health issues are on some type of prescribed medication.

Anxiety is the most common mental health issue at Pitt, followed by depression. He said the increase in students visiting the Counseling Center is due to a combination of factors — the first is that there has simply been an increase in mental health problems across the country, Cox said.

“Some of it is cultural, some of it is societal, some economic and some due to family issues,” Cox said. “Anybody can feel depression. It’s not just one thing that causes people to feel depressed and there’s not one thing that causes them to feel better.”

Cox emphasized that the main goal of the Counseling Center is to assist the Pitt community however it can.

“If you have a friend that is depressed, the first thing you should do is express concern and attach it to a specific issue that you have noticed, such as lack of attendance in class,” Cox said.

The Counseling Center — in collaboration with Talk About It, Western Psychiatric Institute and Lead Pittsburgh — more students who are struggling with depression will use on-campus resources.

“Depression can affect anyone and everyone so we want everyone to know how to put together the signs of depression and know how to get help before it is too late,” Davis said.

Pitt’s Director of Student Life Kenyon Bonner agreed with Davis.

“For so long, people have been afraid to talk about it because they feel they’re the only people experiencing or dealing with this. Depression is not something you should be embarrassed or ashamed to talk about,” said Bonner, who is also a member of Talk About It.

Talk About It will table in Towers Lobby this Monday from noon to 2 p.m. and in Sutherland from 5 to 7 p.m. The group will table the same times and locations the following Monday. Students are invited to pick up a T-shirt and information about depression and the Talk About It campaign.. Talk About It also plans to host a screening of the movie “American Beauty” on Dec. 6 in Nordy’s Place, followed by a discussion.

In the spring, Talk About It will sponsor the “Send Silence Packing” exhibit, which will display 1,100 backpacks, each representing one of the 1,100 college students who commit suicide each year, Davis said. There will also be two nights this semester during which the Talk About It slogan will shine on the Cathedral of Learning.

“By combining Pitt’s most iconic symbol with the Talk About It logo, we hope that students and the greater community will know that the University of Pittsburgh community stands united in the efforts of destigmatizing depression,” Davis said.