Objective: ABRATA was founded in 1999, and its mission is to deliver psychosocial support to patients with depression and bipolar disorders, their relatives and friends; providing them with information and education about the nature of such illnesses, in order to help reducing stigma and improving their quality of life.
Methods: Among the multiple ABRATA's acivities emphasis has been given to the following: 1) Psychoeducational lectures - delivered monthly by psychiatrists and/or psychologists to teach about the symptoms and treatment of mood disorders to the public. 2) Peer Support Groups - patients and family members groups, facilitated by trained volunteers, and aimed at promoting the share of experiences among them.
In addition, two recent projects have been accomplished: a Depression Screening Day in a population sample of Sao Paulo City (with the Brazilian Institute of Public Opinion and Statistics-IBOPE, using the "Mini" questionaire); and a booklet of the most frequently asked questions (FAQ's) about Depression during the discussions after the Psychoeducational lectures.
Results: Over 12,000 people attended the Psychoeducational lectures and approximately 30% of them joined the Association, which has over 3,500 associates. The volunteers compiled the questions made by the public after the Psychoeducational lectures, selected the most FAQ's, and the members of ABRATA's Scientific Board (psychiatrists and psychologists) wrote answers in an easily understandle language to publish the 50 pages booklet. The peer support groups for patients and family members were joined by more than 2,500 participants up-to-date. They were run weekly, and due to the high demand, turn to twice a week in these last 2 years. The survey showed a high frequency (22%) of depressive symptoms in the total sample, with even higher frequencies for women (27%) than for men (16%); for lower (25%) vs higher (15%) social classes; and for young adults with age ranges 18-29 (25%), and 30-39 (23%).
Conclusions: ABRATA has been recognized as a reference in Brazil, keeps growing, but in spite of its large media exposure, constantly struggles for fund raising like other not-for-profit organizations. Its mission seems to have been fulfilled as judged by the numbers and speeches and testimonies from our volunteers. Thus, ABRATA's activities help raising awareness about depression and bipolar disorders, as well as improving the quality of life of these people.