South African Depression & Anxiety Group (SADAG)

The South African Depression and Anxiety Group ( SADAG ) is a registered Non-Profit Organisation, a Registered Section 21 Company, with an 18A tax exemption. SADAG is the leading voice of patient advocacy in the mental health sector, working in urban, peri-urban and the most rural communities across South Africa. SADAG is at the forefront of increasing psychosocial education and training at various levels which involves the training of support group leaders, peer counsellors at a lay counselling level, progressing to the training and development of recognised mental health counsellors in the healthcare sector. SADAG has on its Board a powerful team of patients, psychiatrists and psychologists. It was established 24 years ago to serve as a support network for thousands of South Africans who live with mental health problems and other associated disorders such as HIV/AIDS, TB and Substance Abuse. Currently, it is estimated that one in three people in South Africa will, or do, suffer from a mental illness at some point in their life. SADAG also helps to facilitate over 200 Support Groups nationwide. These are run by patients for patients and offer a safe place for people living with mental health illnesses to share, network, connect and provide information on how they cope each day. The Support Groups are run once a week or once a month and there are currently groups for Depression, Anxiety, Trauma, Post-Natal Depression and Substance Abuse. Many of the groups run meetings in areas that have little or no access to mental health providers which provides a bridge to treatment and offers patients and their loved ones after-care support.