2025 is in full swing and the momentum at the NNDC is all about connection and impact! We hope you'll join us this year for one or more of our planned events, starting with our networking reception at the APA. We're just a month away and registration can be found here!

We also just opened registration for the 17th NNDC Annual Conference in Cincinnati this September 10-11 in collaboration with co-hosts the University of Cincinnati, The Lindner Center of HOPE, and the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center!

Thank you for being a valued member and follower of the National Network of Depression Centers. Let's make this month one of growth, resilience, and above all, kindness toward ourselves and one another.

Join us in Cincinnati for the 2025 NNDC Annual Conference!

2025 NNDC Annual Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio

Who should attend?

This event is open for all clinicians, researchers, educators, staff and individuals certified, involved or interested in mental health. The NNDC plans on at least 7.25 continuing education credits that will be available for physicians, psychologists, social workers and nurses through the ACCME, APA, ASWB, and ANCC boards.

Attendees from NNDC member sites plus those that are interested in NNDC membership are encouraged to register. Colleagues from industry, non-profit, government and general mental health advocate sectors are also encouraged to attend to enjoy learning and collaborating with NNDC members.



Registration Fees

• MEMBERS: $95 for the September 11th NNDC Annual Conference
• NON-MEMBERS: $295 for the September 11th NNDC Annual Conference

Note: If you are attending the free September 10th NNDC Pre-Conference Day which includes NNDC Task Group meetings, several new workshop opportunities, a Board of Directors meeting plus a dinner reception, please select that option on the registration form.

Visit nndc.org/member-sites if you are unsure of your membership status.

Location

The 2025 NNDC Annual Conference in collaboration with the University of Cincinnati, The Lindner Center of HOPE, and the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center will be held at The Graduate by Hilton at 151 Goodman St. Cincinnati, Ohio.

Hotel Information

The NNDC Annual Conference currently has a special rate at the following hotels:

• Graduate by Hilton at a rate of USD $169 / night (plus tax)
• Guests can use the link above to make reservations
• Select the dates of your stay + room type

• Fairfield Inn & Suites Uptown/University at a rate of USD $152 / night (plus tax)
• Guests can use the link above to make reservations ( good til August 20)
• Select the dates of your stay + room type (only 30 rooms available)

Note: Additional hotel block information is being gathered and we'll have more resources in the coming weeks.

The Conference Program Committee welcomes all conference attendees to submit a poster related to depression and bipolar illnesses.

Posters can be submitted to one of two categories:

1.  Basic Science

All areas of research are welcome, but posters dealing with approaches (both biological and psychosocial) to understanding mood disorders, new or repurposed treatments and technologies, monitoring strategies with the potential to improve patient outcomes, or objective measures like biometrics, neuroimaging, bloodwork, or genetics are encouraged.

2.  Clinical Programs

Unified efforts are the best way to expedite technological innovation, dissemination of new information, and translation of research into clinical practice. Posters in this category might showcase multidisciplinary programs, demonstrate the efficacy of collaborations beyond academic boundaries, or deal with clinical assessments like patient questionnaires, clinical diagnoses, or clinical interviews.

There will be a total of four (4) poster awards given. A “Best Overall” and a “Best Emerging Scholar” poster award will be designated for each category. “Emerging Scholars” are graduate students, fellows, post-doctoral fellows, residents, or early career faculty within 5 years of fellowship or post-graduate appointment at an NNDC Center of Excellence or an NNDC Associate Member institution.

The Conference Program Committee is pleased to offer up to 10 Young Investigator Travel Awards of $1,000 each to eligible conference attendees who present a poster at the NNDC 2025 Annual Conference. This award can be used to cover travel costs associated with attending the conference, including airfare, hotel, ground transportation, parking, and mileage, as appropriate. Awardees still must register for the conference. 

A 1099 form will be issued to all awardees. 

Complete applications must be submitted for consideration by 5:00 pm EST on July 11, 2025.

CBS features the University of Colorado

Sports offer a variety of health benefits, but some aspects can take a toll. Now, Colorado athletes and researchers are working to bring more awareness to the mental health struggles they often face.

Identity is a big part of Dr. Matt Mishkind's work studying mental health and athletics at the Helen and Arthur E. Johnson Depression Center at CU Anschutz in Aurora, where he serves as the center's deputy director. 

"Identity is not just for athletes, but with athletes sometimes that starts at a very young age," Dr. Mishkind said.

Read more here

Video Series: Coping with Bipolar Disorder

In this in-depth series from the University of Louisville, David Miklowirtz, PhD covers several facets and strategies for coping with bipolar disorder.

View the series here: Coping with Bipolar Disorder

WomenWise Research Event: Treating & Preventing Alcohol Misuse in Women

The National Network of Depression Centers (NNDC) is working with researchers at Mayo Clinic on a project to involve more women in patient-centered research on alcohol misuse. Studies show that women experience more health problems related to alcohol use than men. Unfortunately, it's often more challenging for women to get treatment and participate in research studies for alcohol misuse. 

The NNDC and Mayo Clinic are hosting a virtual event on Thursday, May 8^th, 2025 from 6:30-8:00pm ET/5:30-7:00pm CT for attendees to learn more and share their perspectives on the following:

• Health and treatment-related disparities in alcohol misuse among women
• Patient-centered comparative effectiveness research
• Perceptions and experiences on how to address treatment barriers
• Perspectives on areas for future research on alcohol misuse in women

Female attendees ages 18+ are welcome to join if they meet any of the following criteria:

• Lived experience with alcohol misuse (past or current)
• Family member of a woman with alcohol misuse
• Healthcare provider or trainee specializing in alcohol misuse

Attendees will receive a $150 prepaid cash card in thanks for their participation. See the attached flyer for more information. If you are interested in participating, please register here. For more information about this project, visit this link.

Registration is open for the 2025 NNDC Reception at APA!

Join us this May for the 2025 NNDC Reception at APA in Los Angeles!

Just a month away! While you’re in town for the APA 2025 Annual Meeting, join us – along with our cohosts University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Johns Hopkins University, Mayo Clinic and UTHealth Houston – for a cocktail reception from 6:30-9:30 pm PST at Bonaventure Brewing Co. inside the Westin! It promises to be a fun and valuable evening of:



• Networking and relationship building opportunities with NNDC Member sites, guests and NNDC staff
• Meeting with industry and biotech partners to discuss clinical trial or study opportunities
• Discussing research, publication, and grant opportunities
• Connecting with peers in an outdoor rooftop setting (indoor option) in LA with cocktails / hors d’oeuvres

Save the Date: 6th Annual Workplace Mental Health Conference

Save the date!

The University of Michigan Eisenberg Family Depression Center’s sixth annual Workplace Mental Health Conference returns August 6, 2025 from 12:30 - 5:00 p.m.

The modern-day workplace has evolved to place well-being front and center. Increasingly, employers are finding that creating a supportive culture improves organizational morale, lowers costs and increases productivity.

The sixth annual Workplace Mental Health Conference is a virtual half-day event that will address critical aspects of employee mental health that every workplace should know, and feature presentations on innovative programs and evidence-based practices that show current trends in workplace mental health. Our lineup of speakers will show you ways to address stressors inside and outside of your workplace to improve employee mental health. SHRM PDCs are available.

Join the mailing list

Join us for the 2025 Best Practices for Mood Disorders with Mayo Clinic

The National Network of Depression Centers (NNDC) Best Practices for Mood Disorders in Collaboration with Mayo Clinic 2025 course is aimed at providing clinically relevant updates for the management of mood disorders and associated comorbidities across the lifespan. Topics include updates and clinical pearls on treatment-resistant depression and bipolar disorder, new and novel treatments for depression, and referral criteria for ketamine, TMS, ECT, and psychedelic therapy.

The NNDC faculty are leaders in the field and active clinicians [psychiatrists, child psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, and advanced practice providers (APRN, CNP, DNP, PA-C)], informed by new research, and committed to meet the mission of NNDC: to use the power of our network to advance scientific discovery, and to provide stigma-free, evidence-based care to patients with depressive and bipolar illnesses.

Learn more and register here!

The Daily | Airline Pilots + Mental Health

The Daily | Why Airline Pilots Feel Pushed to Hide Their Mental Illness

This podcast discusses an important issue facing the aviation industry and how current practices perpetuate stigma.

From The Daily: Troy Merritt, a pilot for a major U.S. airline, returned from his 30th birthday trip in Croatia in October 2022 — sailing on a catamaran, eating great food, socializing with friends — and cried. This wasn’t back-to-work blues but collapsed-on-the-floor, full-body-shaking misery. When he wasn’t crying, he slept.

“I’ve got to find a therapist,” he told himself. And he did, quickly. If that therapist didn’t write down “depression,” Merritt would be OK. He could still fly planes, keep his job — as long as he wasn’t diagnosed with a mental illness.

Merritt, like all pilots, knew that if he was formally diagnosed with a mental-health condition, he might never fly a plane again.

Listen on Apple Podcasts

Nature | Mental Health + Temperature in Australia

Nature | Increasing burden of poor mental health attributable to high temps

High-temperature exposure has important implications for mental and behavioural disorders (MBDs) in Australia, which could lead to increased risks under climate change. However, knowledge gaps exist in quantifying the attributable burden. Here we assessed the burden of MBDs attributable to temperatures above the location-specific thresholds from 2003 to 2018 using disability-adjusted life years and projected future burdens under the climate scenarios representative concentration pathways RCP 4.5 and 8.5 across Australia, considering various climatic, demographic and adaptation scenarios.

High temperatures contributed to an annual loss of 8,458 disability-adjusted life years, representing 1.8% of total MBD burden in Australia. The findings project a consistent upward trend in the high-temperature-attributable burden of MBDs over time. Specifically, this burden is expected to increase by 11.0–17.2% in the 2030s and by 27.5–48.9% in the 2050s compared to the baseline. Our study underscores the need for both adaptation and mitigation strategies to counteract the adverse effects of warming climate on mental health.

Read more here