The depression puzzle

2014 Conference

Abstract: With an estimated one in four people experiencing depression in their lives, solving the puzzle of how to understand and treat this debilitating illness becomes ever more pressing.

In October 2013 members of the Lived Experience Group (LEG) at the Mood Disorders Centre (MDC) of Exeter University hosted a Public Open Day, aimed at both providing information for people experiencing depression and getting them involved with the researchers and research being carried out at the MDC.

The first hurdle was to obtain some funding! This we did by winning a grant of £3,000 from the University of Exeter’s Public Engagement “Catalyst” Seed Fund. Anyone who has ever applied for a grant will know how much work goes into it and we were proud to learn that we were the only group of lay people who were successful in our bid.

The day was organised and run by members of the LEG, with a mixture of presentations, interactive workshops and a more fluid ‘market place’. This format allowed members of the public to meet with researchers, members of LEG, support groups and each other to discuss, in a safe and comfortable environment, their questions about depression, the research being done and how they could influence future work.

We will discuss what we had to do to get the day off the ground, what were the high points and the challenges, what made this event different from others organised by researchers, and how and why we are planning to do it all again!

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