Last week’s high-profile suicides of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain have brought attention to mental health and depression. According to a recent CDC report,suicide rates have gone up by 25 percent since 1999, making suicide the tenth leading cause of death in the United States. As the realization of this epidemic continues to sink in, family and friends look for answers on how to help loved ones and prevent future tragedy.

Harvard Business School Historian Nancy Koehn joined Boston Public Radio Tuesday to talk about the universality of depression and gave examples of how some of our country’s greatest leaders avoided being consumed by it.

Nancy Koehn holds the James E. Robeson chair of business administration at the Harvard Business School. Her latest book is "Forged in Crisis: The Power of Courageous Leadership in Turbulent Times."