Stanford University, School of Medicine
Print and Digital Publishing
External Audience
Silver
Stanford Medicine is a print and online magazine published by Stanford Medicine’s Office of Communications to contribute to the public discourse on important biomedical issues while building awareness of Stanford Medicine’s innovative research, clinical care and education initiatives.
Each issue features a package of stories on a single theme featuring voices from throughout Stanford Medicine. We choose themes according to Stanford Medicine’s priorities as well as their newsworthiness.
What was the most impactful part of your entry?
An article addressing a taboo subject within the medical profession — depression and suicide among those in the profession — struck a nerve with many readers as evidenced by comments made directly to the psychiatrist featured in the article and by social media results. The article, “Let’s Talk About It,” tells the story of a psychiatrist who lost her partner to suicide. The article has received more than 3,500 views, 14,000 impressions and 475 engagements on Instagram. The psychiatrist received extensive positive feedback and appreciated that it supported her suicide-prevention advocacy:
“Every day I receive a message of profound thanks for the depression article. ... The way you wrote it has created a powerful impact and combined just the right amount of personal information with a message of hope based on the research discoveries. This past week I was at the major conference in our field. Many of my colleagues made a point to find me and share their appreciation for the story. Several of them have lost a loved one to suicide but said they couldn't share this information because we are supposed to be the ‘experts.’"
The psychiatrist added that the story bolstered financial support for her research on depression biotyping.
The article: https://stanmed.stanford.edu/open-talk-depression-fight-stigma/
What is one thing you learned from your entry/experience?
As each of our issues was dedicated to a specific theme, one challenge we encountered with each issue is how to cover the topic thoroughly yet at the same time avoid producing something more akin to a catalog or textbook than a magazine. Our solution was to publish a variety of story types – from Q&As to personal essays, to news features — and for the editors and writers to dig for human angles and use these to tell compelling stories.
Contact: Alison Peterson
alison.peterson@stanford.edu