"Men Get Depression"

Saturday May 10, 10 to 11 p.m.
KPTS, Channel 8

Several million men have an illness that is potentially fatal, wrecks careers and families in addition to its victims, and goes untreated 50 percent of the time.

Men Get Depression is a one-hour HD documentary to air Saturday, May 10 that explores the corrosive effect of depression on the self, relationships and careers through the intimate profiles of real men, including a former NFL quarterback, a Fortune 500 CEO, an Iraq War veteran, a university professor, a pastor and others.

"Men often feel weak or ashamed, that it's not manly to feel sad," says Producer and Director, Grady Watts. "We hope this program will show men that they are not alone and that treatment can make a big difference in their lives and in the lives of the people who love them."

The documentary is dramatically structured in four acts: 1) 'Putting a name on it' - men awakening to the awareness that something is gravely wrong that they can't control. 2) 'Not just me, but also those around me' - an exploration of depression's collateral damage, pain and injury to relationships. 3) 'I need help and it's OK to ask for it' - personal accounts of acceptance that help is needed and experiences with both medication and talk therapy. 4) 'Treatment works' - how sticking with treatment has changed men's lives, relationships and careers.

Elizabeth Layton Exhibit

Elizabeth Layton, a native of Wellsville, KS began drawing in 1977 at the age of sixty-eight when she took a drawing class at a local university while fighting a 35 year depression. Elizabeth Layton was a woman who touched and enriched many people's lives through her art. What distinguishes Elizabeth Layton's drawings from others is their breadth, their freshness, and their expression of hope. Few artists have depicted such far reaching social concerns such as capital punishment, homelessness, hunger, racial prejudice, AIDS, aging and the right to die. Each drawing challenges us to walk in the shoes of the less fortunate. Each drawing urges us to work not just for a kinder and gentler nation, but for a kinder and gentler self.

On Wednesday, May 21, 2008, 8-9:30pm, COMCARE of Sedgwick County will sponsor a program “Depression” that will air on KPTS, Channel 8.

Depression is a public health crisis that rivals all other diseases in its burden on society, yet the condition is remarkably under-diagnosed and under-treated.  By weaving together the history, science and treatment of depression with intimate portrayals of families and individuals coping with its wide-ranging effects, this documentary will provide a comprehensive portrait of depression never before presented on American television.

History of Sedgwick County Suicide Prevention Task Force

Committed to bringing the "The Surgeon General's Call To Action To Prevent Suicide" to the community level,  the Sedgwick County Board of County Commissioners appointed the Suicide Prevention Task Force in January 2001.