ANN ARBOR, Mich. - The University of Michigan's Depression Center, the Institute for Human Adjustment and Rackham Graduate School will offer students, faculty, staff and community members a free opportunity to determine if they might have depression.
The screening events are part of National Depression Screening Day, which is Thursday, Oct. 8. They will take place at the following times and locations:
- 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Psychological Clinic, 530 Church Street, East Hall, Suite 2463
- 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Rackham Graduate School Building at 915 East Washington Street.
Each site will offer confidential screenings for depression with trained mental health professionals. National Depression Screening Day is a public education program, and feedback provided after a screening is informational, not diagnostic. Based on screening results, mental health professionals may recommend a more comprehensive evaluation.
Free screenings are a good way for people to find out if depression might be the cause of feelings they've been experiencing, including prolonged sadness, anxiety, irritability, loss of pleasure in activities, feelings of hopelessness and worthlessness, and even physical pain.
"We are excited to be hosting the on-campus depression screenings in collaboration with the U-M Depression Center this year," says Cheryl King, Ph.D., the Director of the Institute for Human Adjustment, a professor of psychiatry in the U-M Medical School and a professor of psychology in the U-M College of Literature, Science, and the Arts. "The Institute for Human Adjustment's Psychological Clinic and the U-M Depression Center have a tremendous wealth of expertise in depression screening and in interventions that enhance the well-being of our university students and community members."
Founded by the organization Screening for Mental Health, Inc., National Depression Screening Day (NDSD) is a national and annual event that aims to increase awareness of depression and its treatment. The goals of the event are to:
- call attention to the prevalence of depression in our society
- educate people about its signs and symptoms and the availability of effective treatments
- connect those in need to community resources
For more information about National Depression Screening Day, contact Trish Meyer at meyerpa@umich.edu or visit our Web site www.depressioncenter.org.