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Nuremberg Alliance Against Depression

Also: Nürnberger Bündnis gegen Depression · European Alliance Against Depression (EAAD) four-level intervention · OSPI-Europe

Two-year (2001-2002) four-level community intervention in Nuremberg: GP training, a public awareness campaign on depression, training of community gatekeepers (teachers, clergy, carers, local media) and support for self-help and high-risk groups. Adapted to over 100 regions in Germany and Europe through the European Alliance Against Depression.

Years
2001–2002
Country
Germany
Topic
Mental healthSuicide prevention
Asks people to
RecognizeSeek help
Strategy
Multi level communityPolicy pairedTestimonial
Channel
CinemaClinical settingEventsOutdoorPrint
Audience
CliniciansGeneral public

Evidence

Quasi-experimentalPositive

Hegerl et al. (2006): versus baseline year and a control region (Würzburg), suicidal acts (completed plus attempts) fell 19.4% in 2001 (p<=0.082) and 24% in 2002 (p<=0.004); attempts alone fell 26.5% (p<0.001), most for high-lethality methods. No significant difference in completed suicides. Multi-component, so the media campaign's share is not separable. Safe messaging: depression-awareness framing (treatable illness) with media trained on reporting; not scored.

Sponsor (who paid)

  • German Research Network on Depression and Suicidality (Federal Ministry of Education and Research funding) Foreign government, funder
  • European Alliance Against Depression NGO, disseminator

Credits (who made it)

  • Ulrich Hegerl Research evaluation, 2001- source

Related campaigns

Sources

  1. Hegerl U et al. The alliance against depression: 2-year evaluation of a community-based intervention to reduce suicidality. Psychol Med 2006;36(9):1225-33 evaluation · 2006 · DOI 10.1017/S003329170600780X · PMID 16707028
  2. Hegerl U et al. Alliances against depression: a community based approach to target depression and to prevent suicidal behaviour. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2013 evaluation · 2013 · DOI 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2013.02.009 · PMID 23438891
  3. Hegerl U et al. Optimizing suicide prevention programs and their implementation in Europe (OSPI Europe). BMC Public Health 2009;9:428 reference · 2009 · DOI 10.1186/1471-2458-9-428 · PMID 19930638
  4. Hegerl U et al. Sustainable effects on suicidality were found for the Nuremberg alliance against depression. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2010 evaluation · 2010 · DOI 10.1007/s00406-009-0088-z · PMID 19921299
  5. Dietrich S et al. Impact of a campaign on the public's attitudes towards depression. Health Educ Res 2010 evaluation · 2010 · DOI 10.1093/her/cyp050 · PMID 19752000

Research notes

Some secondary sources cite a reduction persisting in a follow-up year; verify. Credits checked 2026-10-22 against fetched pages: Ulrich Hegerl (Crossref: first author of the 2006 Psychological Medicine 2-year evaluation). Corrected 2026-10-22: source added (previously none). Evaluation links reviewed 2026-10-22: Hegerl 2009 (OSPI-Europe) is a protocol for the European follow-on study, not a Nuremberg evaluation; set to reference. Evaluation sources added 2026-10-22 (citation snowballing / helpline pass): Hegerl 2010, Dietrich 2010; evidence level and outcome unchanged. Kohls 2017 (OSPI-Europe campaign in four European regions) was not added: it evaluates the European follow-on programme, not the Nuremberg intervention.

Record cases/nuremberg-alliance-against-depression.json, updated 2026-10-22· Link to this campaign