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An example of an intervention program focussing on more awareness for depression is the European Alliance Against Depression (EAAD), which is co-funded by the European Commission. This program takes a multi-level, community based approach on improving depression care, thereby contributing to the prevention of suicide. The EAAD program approaches depression care and suicide prevention at three levels (Hegerl et al. 2006):
- Training general practitioners and community facilitators to recognise and treat people with depression.
- Informing the public on depression.
- Providing self-help measures to people at risk.
In a pilot study, implemented in the city of Nuremberg, this intervention resulted in a considerable decrease of non-fatal suicide acts compared to a control region. Today 17 EU countries are working towards implementing the community based EAAD intervention on a regional basis.
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