Colorado Public Radio reporter Dan Boyce has won the 2020 Carolyn C. Mattingly Award for Mental Health Reporting from the National Press Foundation for an audio documentary about his own mental breakdown and journey back to health.

“The Long Lonely Lake,” an autobiographical portrait of severe depression and recovery, aired as a special episode of CPR’s “Back from Broken” podcast about mental illness and addiction.

The story was the product of three years’ work and 11 drafts, as Boyce pieced together his descent into depression, his failed treatment with drugs and then his successful treatment with electroconvulsive therapy. Boyce used interviews with family and friends to fill in gaps he could no longer remember.

NPF’s judges called it “searingly honest,” “a feat of storytelling” and “an amazing achievement.”

The Carolyn C. Mattingly Award was established in memory of the Potomac, Maryland, philanthropist and activist after her tragic death in 2014. The award recognizes exemplary journalism that illuminates and advances the understanding of mental health issues and treatments for the illness.

Boyce is the first radio reporter to win the award, which carries a $10,000 prize. In their decision, NPF judges cited the craft of his compelling 43-minute narrative, the courage required for a journalist to reveal his struggle despite the stigma associated with mental illness, and the educational value of the work in demystifying a serious disease that strikes one in 20 Americans each year.

“‘The Long Lonely Lake’ is a searing and raw look at how severe depression can strike suddenly and transform someone into a person they don’t even recognize,” added judge Sumathi Reddy, a reporter and columnist for The Wall Street Journal. She called it “a must-listen piece for anyone who wants to learn more about mental illness.”

Judge Steven Petrow, an author and columnist, called it “a standout in reporting about depression, suicide and mental health issues.”

Said judge Kari Howard of Reuters: “Dan Boyce’s unflinching self-examination of his depression is beautifully written. But what really impressed me was the feat of storytelling in weaving together the voices of those who care for him. An amazing achievement.”

Judge Ingrid Sturgis, a journalism professor at Howard University, noted that the piece brings a willing listener into the intimate conversations with Boyce’s friends and family, dissecting their pain and fear. “It takes the listener along the journey to learn something more about how does one recover from such a debilitating mental health experience,” she said. “And the listener goes willingly.”