It’s more prevalent than you might think: according to The Buffalo Depression project website, more than 220,000 people in Western New York will be diagnosed with depression at some point in their lives, yet more than 60-percent won’t seek treatment. Data from the Centers for Disease Control named the Buffalo-Niagara region the 38th most depressed city in America a few years back. What’s the reason? And more importantly, how can we elevate our mood?

Spectrum Health and Human Services, a behavioral health agency with counseling centers throughout the region, will tackle this topic in an upcoming webinar, More Than the Blues: Depression in Western New York, Thursday, June 19 at Noon. It is available free of charge on Zoom and live on Spectrum Health’s Facebook page.

Panelists include:
• Daniel Lukasik, founder of The Buffalo Depression Project and the Judicial Wellness Coordinator for the NYS Court of Administration;
• Sarah Bonk, Commission of Erie County Department of Mental Health; and
• Kim Syracuse, a clinician at Spectrum Health.

The webinar will be moderated by Michael Wooten, host of 7News WKBW’s “Voices.”

Spectrum Health will continue this discussion the following Tuesday, June 24, when it presents the southtowns premiere of the documentary film My Brother Lost in Time, A BiPolar Life, at the Aurora Theatre in East Aurora. The 2024 film by Mark Anthony Dellas is the story of Lukasik, who lives with major depression, and his late brother Paul who lived with a bipolar depression diagnosis. The event is free, registration is preferred.
Spectrum Health and Human Services provides mental health, addiction, rehabilitation, care coordination, housing, and crisis services in locations throughout Western New York. Founded in 1973, its counseling clinics are Certified Community Behavioral Health Centers (CCBHC). Visit www.shswny.org for more information.