This October the Lilly Scholarship applications will include a new diagnostic category, Major Depressive Disorder. Depression is a potentially life-threatening mood disorder that affects 1 in 6 persons in the United States, or approximately 17.6 million Americans each year. The current economic cost of depressive illness is estimated to be $30-44 billion annually in the United States alone. In addition to considerable pain and suffering that interfere with individual functioning, depression affects those who care about the ill person, sometimes destroying family relationships or work dynamics between the patient and others. Therefore, the human cost in suffering cannot be overestimated. An estimated 6-12% of the US population will experience depression at some time. Suicide accounts for 32,000 deaths annually in the United States and is the eighth leading of cause of mortality. In an attempt to bring greater awareness to this difficult disorder we will be adding Major depressive Disorder for the scholarships.
ELIGIBILITY
In order to be eligible for consideration for the Lilly Reintegration Scholarship, applicants must:
Have a documented diagnosis of bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, schizophreniform or schizoaffective disorder, major depressive disorder will be included as of 2013-14.
To apply for a Lilly scholarship, you must be currently receiving medical treatment for the illness, including medications and psychiatric follow-up, or have a clear documented past history.
Be actively involved in rehabilitative or reintegrative efforts, such as clubhouse membership, part-time work, volunteer efforts or school enrollment or in competitive employment.
Complete an application package that includes an application form, essay, transcripts (if applicable), recommendation forms from three references and school financial requirements.
