Anxiety And Depression Association Of America

TO PROMOTE THE PREVENTION, TREATMENT, AND CURE OF ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, OCD, PTSD, AND RELATED DISORDERS AND TO IMPROVING THE LIVES OF ALL PEOPLE WHO SUFFER FROM THEM THROUGH EDUCATION, PRACTICE, AND RESEARCH.

CONFERENCE AND OTHER PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION - THE GOAL OF ADAA'S ANNUAL EDUCATION CONFERENCES IS TO BRING TOGETHER A MULTI-DISCIPLINARY GROUP OF PROFESSIONALS WORKING IN THE FIELDS OF ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND RELATED DISORDERS. THE HOPE IS THAT THESE IMPORTANT ANNUAL MEETINGS WILL IMPROVE PATIENT CARE BY PROMOTING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF BEST PRACTICES AND TREATMENTS ACROSS DISCIPLINES THROUGH CONTINUING EDUCATION AND TRAINING AND ACCELERATING DISSEMINATION OF RESEARCH INTO PRACTICE. DUE THE PANDEMIC, ADAA CONVENED ITS ANNUAL CONFERENCE VIRTUALLY IN MARCH 2021. THE THEME OF THE 2021 CONFERENCE WAS RESILIENCE AND RECOVERY: FROM RESEARCH TO PRACTICE. DUE TO THE POSTPONEMENT OF THE 2020 CONFERENCE, ADAA DECIDED TO INVITE THE 2020 CAREER DEVELOPMENT LEADERSHIP PROGRAM ("CDLP") AND KLEIN AWARD WINNERS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE 2021 VIRTUAL CONFERENCE. THE 2021 VIRTUAL CONFERENCE OFFERED CE/CME CREDITS AND INCLUDED SYMPOSIA, WORKSHOPS, SESSIONS, POSTERS, AND NETWORKING EVENTS TO 800 MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS INVOLVED IN THE FIELDS OF ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, AND RELATED DISORDERS. A MAJORITY OF ADAA'S CONFERENCE SESSIONS ARE PEER-REVIEWED. AS THE CONFERENCE WAS VIRTUAL, ADAA WAS ABLE TO OFFER ALL THE VIRTUAL EDUCATION SESSIONS TO THE REGISTERED CONFERENCE ATTENDEES FOR 60 DAYS AFTER THE END OF THE CONFERENCE. THIS DECISION ALLOWED THE REGISTRANTS TO PARTICIPATE IN AS MANY SESSIONS AS DESIRED. THE CDLP AWARDS ARE GIVEN TO YOUNG PROFESSIONALS, WHO ARE EITHER RESEARCHERS OR CLINICIANS. THE GOAL IS TO PROVIDE THE AWARD WINNERS WITH MENTORING AND UP TO DATE EVIDENCE-BASED INFORMATION TO SUPPORT THEIR RESEARCH OF THEIR CLINICAL WORK WITH PATIENTS. THE CDLP AWARDS PROGRAM ALSO HAS ABOUT 40-42 MENTORS WHO ARE MATCHED TO THE 40-42 AWARD WINNERS. THE KLEIN AWARD IS GEARED TOWARDS YOUNG RESEARCHERS. TO ENSURE GREATER INCLUSION OF APPLICANTS FOR THE CDLP AND KLEIN AWARDS PROGRAM, ADAA APPROVED A MEASURE IN 2021, TO ALLOW BOTH MEMBERS AND NON-MEMBERS TO APPLY FOR BOTH THE CDLP AND KLEIN AWARDS PROGRAMS. IN 2021, ADAA CREATED THE BLACK, INDIGENOUS, AND PEOPLE OF COLOR ("BIPOC") SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS PROGRAM TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL MENTORING AND EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES TO MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS IN THE BIPOC COMMUNITY. THE BIPOC AWARDS PROGRAM PROVIDES FOR FREE MEMBERSHIP IN ADAA. TO DATE, ADAA HAS GIVEN OUT OVER ONE MILLION DOLLARS IN GRANT AND AWARD SUPPORT. ADAA PROVIDES A PROFESSIONAL WEBINAR SERIES FOR TREATMENT PROVIDERS AND RESEARCHERS TO STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE LATEST RESEARCH AND TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT CHALLENGING ISSUES SO THAT THEY CAN PROVIDE BETTER TREATMENT. IN 2021, ADAA INCREASED ITS PROFESSIONAL WEBINAR OFFERINGS, INCLUDING OFFERING WEBINARS THAT PROVIDE DIVERSITY CONTINUING EDUCATION (CE) CREDITS. MOST OF THE PROFESSIONAL WEBINARS PROVIDE CE/CME (CONTINUING MEDICAL EDUCATION) CREDIT AND CE/CME IS FREE FOR ADAA MEMBERS. IN 2021, ADAA OFFERED ITS THIRD FALL FORUM TO ENHANCE ADAA'S PROFESSIONAL WEBINAR OFFERINGS. UNLIKE A WEBINAR, THE FALL FORUM SERIES OFFERS AN IN-DEPTH DISCUSSION ON A SPECIFIC MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE AND LASTS 2-3.5 HOURS. THE FORUMS PROVIDE CE/CME. THE 2021 FALL FORUM FOCUSED ON DEPRESSION ACROSS THE LIFESPAN.

PUBLIC OUTREACH AND EDUCATION - IN 2021, THERE WERE OVER 11 MILLION UNIQUE VISITORS TO ADAA'S WEBSITE. THE WEBSITE CONTAINS FACT SHEETS AND DESCRIPTIONS OF SYMPTOMS AND EVIDENCE-BASED TREATMENT OPTIONS AND RESOURCES FOR MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS. THROUGH THE ADAA WEBSITE, THE PUBLIC CAN ALSO GAIN ACCESS TO ADAA'S PROFESSIONAL TREATMENT PROVIDERS IN THEIR AREA AS WELL AS STORIES OF HOPE AND BLOGS POSTED BY PROFESSIONALS. ADAA ALSO OFFERS FREE EVIDENCE-BASED RECORDED AND LIVE FREE EDUCATION WEBINARS FOR THE PUBLIC ON AN ARRAY OF MENTAL HEALTH TOPICS. THE GOAL IS TO PROVIDE EVIDENCE BASED CONTENT AND TIPS TO THE PUBLIC. IN 2021, ADAA STARTED OFFERING THE WEBINARS ON YOUTUBE TO ENSURE WIDER DISSEMINATION OF CONTENT. THE CONTENT IS DEVELOPED BY ADAA'S EXPERTS. ADAA EMAILS A FREE MONTHLY OUTREACH NEWSLETTER "TRIUMPH" TO OVER 35,000 PEOPLE. IN 2021, ADAA'S PEER-TO-PEER ONLINE ENGLISH-SPEAKING SUPPORT COMMUNITY (HEALTH UNLOCKED) GREW SIGNIFICANTLY AND HAD OVER 75,000 USERS. ADAA'S SPANISH SPEAKING PEER-TO-PEER ONLINE SUPPORT GROUP ALSO GREW. IN 2021, ADAA ALSO REDESIGNED ITS WEBSITE TO OFFER BETTER ACCESSIBILITY TO THE PUBLIC AND THE PROFESSIONAL COMMUNITY.

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP - ADAA HAS MORE THAN 1,500 US AND INTERNATIONAL PROFESSIONAL AND STUDENT MEMBERS WHO ARE EXPERTS IN THE ANXIETY, DEPRESSION AND RELATED FIELDS. THROUGH ADAA, MEMBERS CAN MEET WITH OTHER PROFESSIONALS, DISCUSS THE LATEST RESEARCH, AND LEARN ABOUT NEW AND EFFECTIVE EVIDENCE-BASED TREATMENT METHODS. ADAA MEMBERS ARE A DYNAMIC INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY OF CLINICIANS, ACADEMICS, RESEARCHERS, SOCIAL WORKERS, SCIENTISTS, TRAINEES, AND STUDENTS. ADAA ALSO OFFERS MEMBER WEBINARS, BLOG POSTS AND A SUBSCRIPTION TO THE DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY JOURNAL. THE DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY JOURNAL IS A PEER REVIEWED SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL KNOWN FOR RAPID DISSEMINATION OF HIGH-QUALITY RESEARCH. ADAA ALSO OFFERS LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES FOR ADAA'S MEMBERS, SUCH AS PARTICIPATING IN ADAA'S SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS, THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE COMMITTEE, AND THE PUBLIC AND PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION COMMITTEES, THE ADAA BOARD OF DIRECTORS, AND THE SCIENTIFIC COUNCIL.