The Cutting Edge DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY 28 : 615–621 (2011) THE NATIONAL NETWORK OF DEPRESSION CENTERS: PROGRESS THROUGH PARTNERSHIP John F. Greden, M.D., is the Executive Director of the University of Michigan Comprehensive Depression Center and Founder and Chair of the National Network of Depression Centers (NNDC). His academic activities include 28 years of NIH-funded projects studying major depressions and bipolar disorders, emphasizing biomarker and clinical correlates of depression and bipolar disorders over a patient’s lifetime. These include hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA), neuroimmune, sleep laboratory, and psychomotor measures; causes and interventions for Treatment Resistant Depression (TRD); and prevention of depressive recurrences. He served 22 years as Chair of the University of Michigan Department of Psychiatry, is the author or co- author of 265 peer-reviewed publications or books, has given approximately 410 invited presentations, supervised 14 NIH ‘‘K’’ and Veterans Administration Career Development young investigator awardees, and continually seeks to promote translational themes to educate a new generation of clinical investigators. He served as Past President of the Society of Biological Psychiatry and the Psychiatric Research Society and as a Co-Editor of the Journal of Psychiatric Research for 7 years. In 2001, he founded and still directs the University of Michigan Comprehensive Depression Center, patterned after the nation’s Cancer Centers. In 2007, he led formation of the NNDC, which currently includes 22 of the nation’s leading academic medical centers and is the focus of this article. THE CHALLENGE The time has come to meaningfully transform our nation’s strategies for counteracting the scourges of depressive and bipolar illnesses. Hundreds of excellent studies confirm that major depressive disorders, bipolar illnesses, and related disorders afflict an estimated one of every five Americans, lead the United States and the world in disease burden and disability, and account for more than 30,000 U.S. citizens’ deaths annually by suicide while thousands more die earlier because of associated medical consequences. Mood disorders are second in contributing to America’s health costs, trailing only cardiovascular diseases. [1–6] Hundreds of additional studies provide substantial understanding of why these disorders produce such huge burdens (Table 1). It is reasonable to conclude we have thoroughly identified the challenges associated with the prevalence, burdens, disabilities and costs of depressions, and bipolar illnesses. It is time to prioritize solutions. SOLUTION: A NATIONAL NETWORK OF DEPRESSION CENTERS The time has come to fight depression and bipolar illnesses by adapting network and data sharing strategies previously shown to be successful for other chronic disorders and to implement a vision that enables every resident in the United States to be within 200 miles of the expertise needed to better diagnose, treat, and pre- vent clinical depression and bipolar illnesses. The founda- tion for such an effort is underway via the recently established National Network of Depression Centers (NNDC), patterned after the nation’s networks of cancer centers. This article will describe the National Network of Depression Centers www.NNDC.org, its origins, progress to date, and the academic, federal, community, and corporate partnerships that are either developed or still required. WHY THE NEED FOR A NETWORK? Despite years of growth in research dollars for neuroscience and mental health, breakthroughs for those brain disorders producing depression, bipolar illnesses, and related conditions have been sparse and global progress may be stalled even more because of growing economic constraints. [7] Other contributing reasons are obvious and arguably would be improved using the power of networks and partnerships. [8–10] First, mental health investigators and clinicians have not adopted a common language for characterizing and monitoring clinical severity and outcomes, have not adopted standardized ‘‘vital signs’’ for mood disorders comparable to blood pressure readings for hyperten- sion, and have not routinely employed measurement- based care despite evidence that it improves outcomes. Network adoption of a ‘‘common language’’ will accelerate the improvements being sought. Published online in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com). DOI 10.1002/da.20862 Ã Correspondence to: John F. Greden, Rachel Upjohn Professor of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, University of Michigan Medical Center, 4250 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48109. E-mail: gredenj@med.umich.edu r r 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.