MADISON, Wis. - Thursday is National Depression Screening Day, a day to bring awareness of the illness and emphasize that depression can be treated. According to the World Health Organization, 3,000 people a day commit suicide.

People should intervene when they believe a family member or loved one is depressed and not getting treatment, said Dr. Sharon Hirsch, chief of child and adolescent psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. If there's any talk of suicide, she said, immediate intervention is critical.

"But if they're just kind of getting along, they're doing OK but they're just not themselves, then you have to help them understand that what's going on is depression," she said. "It is an illness and we can treat it - but you have to find a way to get that person in."

Hirsch said the first call in such a case should be to the person's primary-care doctor, who can then assess the person and refer them to the proper mental-health professional. One of the challenges of her profession, she said, is removing the stigma associated with mental illness, and teaching people that bringing awareness to depression can save lives.

To help people understand that mental illness should be treated like any other illness or injury, Hirsch uses the analogy of a person who falls and breaks an arm or leg.

"If you don't get it casted, it will eventually heal, but not real well, right? And if you get physical therapy to rehab your muscle, it's going to get even stronger and it may get better sooner," she said. "The same thing with depression."

Depression can afflict anyone of any age, including children, Dr. Hirsch's specialty. She says childhood depression is hugely under-diagnosed, and there's a need for about 35-thousand child psychiatrists in the country, and today there are only about 7 thousand.

According to Dr. Hirsch, depression takes a huge toll mentally and financially.

"The cost of treatment is about 26 billion dollars. That pales in comparison to time lost from work due to absenteeism and other kinds of direct work costs - it's about 57 billion dollars lost in the economy due to depression."

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, approximately 61.5 million Americans - one in four adults - will experience a mental illness in a given year. More facts and figures are online at nami.org.


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After more than 50 years of use, some Michigan lawmakers say naloxone may not be the best choice in an overdose situation.

Naloxone is sometimes called the "Lazarus drug" because of its powerful ability to seemingly resurrect people after a drug overdose.

Sen. Kevin Hertel, D-St. Clair Shores, and some of his colleagues have introduced a bill which would open the door for what they say are more costly, but more powerful, antidotes.

"Given the prevalence of fentanyl in our communities, and how much stronger some of these drugs that we're now seeing are, we believe -- and in talking with others -- that there should be other tools to respond to an overdose," Hertel explained. "To make sure we're doing everything we can to save somebody's life."

Not everyone is on board with the proposed legislation, Senate Bill 542. Opponents argued the more expensive naloxone alternatives are not necessary, and using them would only increase profits for the pharmaceutical industry.

Jonathan Stoltman, director of the Opioid Policy Institute in Grand Rapids, said while the naloxone alternatives do help in overdose situations, they can also cause nasty side effects.

"The newer approaches, they put people into more severe withdrawal," Stoltman pointed out. "That's a pretty profound negative side effect. The one approach is very inexpensive and works great; the other approach is far more expensive and has this strong negative side effect."

Sponsors of the bill say they're hoping to give Michigan residents a chance to chime in on the issue in a public hearing sometime in June. Michigan saw more than 3,000 opioid overdose deaths in 2021.


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New Mexico saw record enrollment numbers for the Affordable Care Act this year and is now setting its sights on lowering out-of-pocket costs - those not reimbursed by insurance. More than 56,000 New Mexicans are enrolled in a medical health insurance plan on the state exchange - an increase of 12,000 people overall.

Colin Baillio, deputy superintendent with the state's Office of Insurance, said the state has boosted its outreach and made efforts to improve the overall consumer experience.

"We saw a 40% year-over-year increase, and New Mexico saw the biggest percentage increase during the open-enrollment period among all of the state-based marketplaces," he explained

Part of the enrollment increase is due to what's called the "unwinding" - a federal directive that required all states to redetermine Medicaid eligibility following a three-year pause on checks during the COVID pandemic. He said by using expanded tools made available by the federal and state government, 8% of New Mexico's population is now uninsured - down from 23% in 2010.

Following approval by lawmakers in the 2024 legislative session, the New Mexico governor signed seven health care-related bills into law - one of which requires annual reporting of prescription drug pricing. Baililo said the Affordable Care Act built the foundation that has allowed the state to pursue additional affordability initiatives.

"I'm really glad to see that there's so much interest in the next step of health reform, really leaning into these out-of-pocket cost issues and making it easier for people to afford to stay covered and see their doctors," he continued.

Two years ago, the state also passed a one-of-a-kind law that did away with behavioral health co-pays for people in certain insurance plans.

New York's medical aid-in-dying bill is gaining further support. The Medical Society of the State of New York is supporting the bill. New York's bill allows terminally ill people with only six months to live to use this option, with safeguards requiring two physicians' approval.

The bill's Assembly sponsor Amy Paulin, D-Westchester, said despite the growing support, other hurdles lie ahead.

"Now we have what I believe, if it came to the floor, a majority. There's still a hesitation on the part of leadership. You know, we need members to assure leadership that they no longer have reservations," she said.

Other newly resolved concerns center on making sure insurance companies and doctors who don't support this aren't held liable. She's optimistic the bill will pass after nine years in the Legislature. New York would be the 11th state along with Washington, D.C. to have medical aid in dying legislation.

Corinne Carey, senior New York campaign director with Compassion and Choices finds the pandemic drew a vivid picture of a person's end-of-life experience. There were images of people dying on ventilators, apart from loved ones, and unable to communicate. She said people began thinking about a "good death."

"And, what is a good death is being surrounded by loved ones, having some measure of control, experiencing the touch of your loved ones, and being the one in the driver's seat," she explained.

Now people have different options for end-of-life care, each of which presents various challenges. Polls show medical aid in dying has garnered considerable support since being introduced in 2015. A 2022 Compassion and Choices poll finds 57% of nurses support medical aid in dying professionally, although fewer support it personally.