Tipper Gore

Vice president Al Gore knows depression more intimately than most, since his wife and mother-in-law have battled with it for years. Tipper Gore's mother endured a lifelong dependency on antidepressants and was hospitalized twice.

Tipper Gore herself succumbed to depression after her son nearly died in a car accident in 1989. She was diagnosed around 1991, tried various medications and sought professional guidance from a social worker friend.After her recent decision to publicize her experience with clinical depression, the Second Lady has fought to raise awareness for sufferers by coordinating the first-ever White House Conference on Mental Illness.