In an effort to identify the most influential health and wellness
voices online, SharecareNow, powered by WCG, today announced
"SharecareNow 10 - Depression" to recognize the most prominent
online influencers that positively impact the lives of millions of
Americans who suffer from depression.
The release of SharecareNow 10 - Depression coincides with the
nationally recognized Seasonal Depression Awareness Month, which
takes place every December to increase awareness for seasonal
affective disorder (SAD), a type of depression that affects half a
million people every winter, peaking in December, January and
February.(1) Episodes of SAD typically occur during this time due
to the reduced amount of sunlight, shorter days, and possible
loneliness during the holiday months. The symptoms for SAD include
feelings of sadness, sluggishness, lack of motivation, withdrawal
from social activities, increased appetite and changes in sleep
patterns.(2)
"Among all psychiatric illnesses, depression is highly
responsive to treatment, which is why it is important that
patients, their families and caregivers have easy access to
reliable online information about mental health," said Ellen R.
Mercer, Vice President for Program Development of the World
Federation for Mental Health. "That's why we support SharecareNow's
initiative to identify the top influencers in the online depression
community who help increase mental health awareness and provide
patients with the potentially life-saving support they need."
According to the World Federation for Mental Health, depression
can take many different forms and affect people of all ages, races,
religions and incomes worldwide. In fact, in the U.S. alone, an
estimated 1 in 10 American adults report that they experience some
degree of depression.(3)
Studies show that depression is two to three times more common
in women, as well as increased in people that have a family history
of the condition, are exposed to violence, are suffering from other
chronic diseases, or are economically or socially disadvantaged.
Furthermore, individuals with depression are more at risk for other
disorders, including suicide, substance abuse, anxiety disorders,
heart disease, stroke, HIV/AIDS, and diabetes.(4)
"Depression is a serious and complex illness in our country that
can lead to deadly consequences. Many people don't know what it
looks like or how to help those silently suffering from this
disease, especially during the winter months when seasonal
depression is on the rise and people are looking for answers about
the causes for certain behavioral changes," said Jeff Arnold,
chairman and chief architect of Sharecare. "By bringing the most
influential people in the field to light, it further exemplifies
our commitment to elevating awareness about the severity of certain
health conditions, connecting people to credible resources, and
providing key actionable information that can lead people to
appropriate treatment options."
In order to be included in the SharecareNow 10 - Depression
list, influencers must have demonstrated a consistent impact on
mental health-specific conversations online over the past year. The
individuals' influence is measured and quantified through a
proprietary algorithm based on more than 40 individual metrics,
including mental health relevance, syndication, presence and reach.
These individuals are then ranked from most to least influential
based on a unique scoring structure.
The following top influencers make up the SharecareNow 10 -
Depression list: 1. Julie de Azevedo Hanks, MSW, LCSW, BCD, Julie
Hanks 2. Natasha Tracy, Breaking Bipolar 3. Therese J. Borchard,
World of Psychology 4. Chato B. Stewart, Mental Health Humor 5.
Nancy Schimelpfening, About.com - Depression 6. Daniel J. Tomasulo,
PhD, TEP, MFA, Psychology Today 7. Marcia Purse, About.com -
Bipolar Disorder 8. Rick Nauert, PhD, Psych Central 9. Jack Smith,
Coping With Depression 10. Michael Friedman, LMSW, The Huffington
Post
A downloadable version of the SharecareNow 10 - Depression list
can be found here:
http://www.sharecare.com/static/sharecare-now-depression-graphic.
Additional information, including bios and the methodology behind
the influencer list, is available at http://now.sharecare.com.
In support of raising awareness for depression, licensed
therapists on Sharecare will open their profile walls throughout
the remainder of December to engage with Sharecare members and
answer their mental health questions. To participate in this open
wall event, sign-up here:
http://www.sharecare.com/static/sharecare-now-depression.
About SharecareNow, powered by WCG
SharecareNow, powered by WCG was developed in partnership with
Sharecare, an interactive social Q&A platform, and WCG, a
market-leading digital communications agency. Sharecare Now,
powered by WCG is an online platform developed to access real-time
analytics on various health topics, conversations and influencers,
and to use these insights to meaningfully impact the conversation
through strategic engagement. The platform allows health and
wellness professionals, organizations and brands to leverage the
most accurate data, solutions and best practices to participate in
the social service of expert health and wellness content and
communities.
About World Federation for Mental Health
(WFMH) WFMH was founded in 1948 to advance, among all peoples
and nations, the prevention of mental and emotional disorders, the
proper treatment and care of those with such disorders, and the
promotion of mental health. The Federation, through its members and
contacts in more than 100 countries on six continents, has
responded to international mental health crises through its role as
the only worldwide grassroots advocacy and public education
organization in the mental health field.
About Sharecare Launched in 2010 and based
in Atlanta, GA, Sharecare's mission is to greatly simplify the
search for high-quality healthcare information and answer the
world's questions of health. Created by Jeff Arnold and Dr. Mehmet
Oz, in partnership with Harpo Studios, HSW International (NASDAQ:
HSWI), Sony Pictures Television, and Discovery Communications, the
Sharecare interactive social Q & A platform allows people to
ask, learn and act upon questions of health and wellness. The
company's innovative approach provides a wide array of expert
answers to each question ranging from hospitals to MDs to
non-profits to healthcare companies to active health consumers,
ultimately creating a community where healthcare knowledge is
built, shared and put into practice.
Follow us on Twitter @SharecareNow Find us on Facebook Read our
Sharecare Blog Watch us on YouTube
About WCG Led by Chairman and CEO Jim
Weiss, WCG is an independent company focused on integrated
corporate and product marketing and communications for some of the
world's leading companies, with offices in San Francisco, New York,
Chicago, Washington, D.C., Austin and London. Over the past 10
years, WCG has received numerous industry awards, including "2011
Digital Agency of the Year," and "Healthcare Agency of the Year"
twice. WCG currently works with more than 60 of the top healthcare
brands worldwide, from pharmaceuticals and medical devices to
overall corporate presence. The company's seasoned professionals
specialize in social media analytics, online strategy, branding,
design, digital and traditional marketing, corporate and product
PR, media, investor and advocacy relations, clinical trial
recruitment and grassroots direct-to-patient communications
campaigns.
Follow us on Twitter @WCGWORLD Find us on Facebook Read our
CommonSense Blog Watch us on YouTube
(1) Mental Health America. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
http://www.nmha.org/go/sad. 2011.
(2) U.S. National Library of Medicine: PubMed Health. Seasonal
affective disorder.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002499/. March
2011.
(3) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Data &
Statistics: Depression. http://www.cdc.gov/Features/dsDepression/.
March 2011.
(4) World Federation for Mental Health. Depression: What You
Know Can Help You - International Perspectives on Depression for
People Living with Depression and Their Families.
http://www.wfmh.org/2010DOCS/DEPRESSION%20AWARENESS%20PACKET%20ENGLISH%202010.pdf.
2010.
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Contact: Brooke Bullen WCG on behalf of Sharecare
415-946-1070 bbullen@wcgworld.com
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