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News Release

December 20, 2011

New Adolescent Mental Health Program at Trillium brings intervention and care into the family home

AstraZeneca's support establishes a unique home-based care program to be piloted in Mississauga

http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/898369/new-adolescent-mental-health-program-at-trillium-brings-intervention-and-care-into-the-family-home

Mississauga/West Toronto (December 20, 2011) – /CNW/ - Today, Trillium Health Centre Foundation and AstraZeneca Canada Inc. announce the creation of the Trillium Adolescent Mental Health Outreach Program at The Credit Valley Hospital and Trillium Health Centre. Made possible through the support of AstraZeneca Canada Inc., this outreach program (the Program) is a unique, home-based, intensive outreach platform for adolescents and young adults living with severe mood and anxiety disorders.

"Some adolescents who suffer from anxiety or depression are very much affected by their illness. When it is extreme, they are unable to attend school or even leave their homes to participate in outpatient treatment programs," says Dr. Rose Geist, Chief of Mental Health Systems at the Trillium Health Centre site, and Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Psychiatry at the University of Toronto. "This Program will bring early intervention and care into the home and provide support not only to the teens in need, but to their families and caregivers."

Anxiety disorders affect 12 per cent of the population,1 while depression affects 10 to 15 per cent of men and 15 to 25 per cent of women.2 These illnesses can range in severity and have various treatment protocols. The outreach program is Trillium Health Centre site's first home-based initiative that focuses on reaching out to functionally impaired adolescents and young adults, aged 12 to 24, who tend to avoid school and demonstrate high-risk patterns including substance abuse, self-harm and trouble with the law.

"We've seen first-hand the value of early intervention, but struggle with the fact that current mental health school-based or outpatient programs do not reach those who are unable to leave home due to their illness," says Mary Lynn Porto, Manager, Child and Adolescent Mental Health at Trillium. "By bringing treatment and care into the home, we can work collaboratively with parents to implement the learning and coping skills needed to help set teens on a more positive and fulfilling life path."

It is estimated that 15 to 20 adolescents and young adults will benefit from the pilot program in its first year, with a goal of replicating it in other regions. The age span, 12 to 24, aligns with the Program's focus on early intervention and ensures that care is provided during vulnerable periods of development when mental health issues are likely to emerge.

"This investment reinforces AstraZeneca's commitment to supporting the health of vulnerable populations in unique and impactful ways, and improving the emotional and mental wellbeing of youth," says Laura Mably, Vice President, AstraZeneca Canada. "It is our hope that the Trillium Adolescent Mental Health Outreach Program sponsored by AstraZeneca will empower patients and families in the communities of Mississauga and West Toronto, as well as in other communities in the future."

About AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca is committed to the research, development and manufacturing of valuable prescription medicines. We have an extensive product portfolio spanning six therapeutic areas: gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, infection, neuroscience, oncology, and respiratory. AstraZeneca`s headquarters are located in Mississauga, Ontario, and a state-of-the-art drug discovery centre is based in Montreal, Quebec.

For more information, please visit the company`s website at www.astrazeneca.ca

About The Credit Valley Hospital and Trillium Health Centre

The Credit Valley Hospital and Trillium Health Centre is a newly merged hospital serving Mississauga, West Toronto and the surrounding communities. It is Ontario's largest community-based academic health network and has a teaching affiliation with the Mississauga Academy of Medicine at the University of Toronto Mississauga.

For more information, see www.partneringforpatients.ca

About Trillium Health Centre Foundation and the Giving 110% Campaign

Trillium Health Centre Foundation inspires the community to invest in essential priorities at Trillium Health Centre's Mississauga and West Toronto sites.  Giving 110%, the largest campaign in Trillium Health Centre Foundation history, is inspired by Trillium staff, physicians donors and volunteers who go above and beyond to provide quality health care. Community support will help the Foundation raise its goal of $110 million for patient care spaces, equipment, technology, research and education at Trillium.

For more information, visit www.trilliumgiving.ca

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References

1 Frequently Asked Questions - Anxiety and Mood Disorders. Mood Disorders Association of Ontario. Available at: http://www.mooddisorders.ca/faq/anxiety-and-mood-disorders#t2n456. Accessed November 16, 2011.

2 Frequently Asked Questions - Depression. Mood Disorders Association of Ontario. Available at: http://www.mooddisorders.ca/faq/depression#t7n502. Accessed November 16, 2011.

For further information:
Media contacts:    

Stephanie Bannan
Edelman
Tel: 416-849-8949
stephanie.bannan@edelman.com    

Jennifer Gordon
AstraZeneca Canada
Tel: 905-804-4901
jennifer.gordon@astrazeneca.com

Larry Roberts
The Credit Valley Hospital and Trillium Health Centre
Tel: 905-848-7580 ext. 3832
lroberts@thc.on.ca