Barbers as community mental health advocates for African American men: A.D.A.A.M.-QR web design to address social determinants of depression and access to culturally-relevant resources

Depression is one of the costliest and most disabling illnesses worldwide (WHO, 2018). The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that over 350 million people worldwide are affected by depression, leading to over 800,000 suicides each year (WHO, 2018). Major depression symptoms include memory loss, lack of focus, irritability and cognitive dysfunction, leading to substantial societal and economic costs (McIntyre et al., 2013; Probst et al., 2007). The direct cost of depression rose from approximately $173.2 billion to $210.5 billion between 2005 and 2010 (Greenberg et al., 2015), and the estimation is expected to be higher when chronic diseases related to depression are considered (Hankerson, Lee, et al., 2015; Hankerson, Suite, & Bailey, 2015; Penner et al., 2010). Individuals suffering from depression-associated symptoms are less productive at work and in their personal lives, have decreased energy, feel they receive inadequate support from supervisors, and have lower concentration when trying to perform job-related tasks (Bertilsson et al., 2013)