Notes from the Prozac Nation, Vol. 1, No. 11

• It's Not a Chemical Imbalance: Well, I can't say that I am surprised that a study revealed that Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) advertisements are misleading the public about the nature of depression. Duh! But, perhaps the "street cred" of the investigators here will get the word out to folks that while Depression sucks and there are new treatments, that the cause of depression is not so clear.



• Cross-Cultural Depression: The Center for Latino Community Health just reported that Latinos have a high risk for depression (1 in 5) and yet 90% do not seek a mental health professional and 80% do not even seek a GP. This is dire indeed. Janet Murgia, president and CEO of the National Council of La Raza, suggests that the dearth of culturally competent practitioners is part of the problem.