Depression Screening Scheduled For October 5 At Library

By Nancy K. Crevier

Not everyone is able to enjoy the spectacular foliage show put on by Mother Nature in the fall. Not everyone is capable of appreciating the chill of autumn or hike through the crisp layer of leaves with a spring in his or her step. The ability to laugh at a joke or smile at the sweet things in life may be beyond some. When everyone else is seeing bright blue skies, there are others who see only an overcast haze wherever they look, wherever they go; and they do not know why.

“Major depression is the number one disability in the United States,” said Marc Woolfolk, an intern at the Family Counseling Center at 121 Mt Pleasant Road. “People can suffer from depression for years and not even know it. Screening can help people identify depression.”

The Family Counseling Center (FCC) will sponsor National Depression Screening Day, October 5, from 10 am to noon, and from 2 pm to 4 pm, in the meeting room of the C.H. Booth Library on Main Street.

National Depression Screening Day was instituted in 1991 to help people determine if symptoms of depression are present and to offer education about and resources for treatment of depression. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, nearly 17 million Americans experience some form of depression every year. Last year, more than 600,000 screenings were administered on National Depression Screening Day.

Rebecca Cohen and Alise Trock, both licensed certified social workers at FCC, hope that area residents will take advantage of this opportunity to learn about depression. “There is a 20-minute educational video to watch and participants will be asked to complete a screening test,” explained Ms Cohen. Health professionals from FCC will be available, as well, to discuss any concerns one-on-one, she said. “We will have brochures available at the screening and will provide resources if a referral is needed.”

By holding screening day at the library, rather than at the Counseling Center, Ms Trock and Ms Cohen hope to reach a larger population. “Depression strikes two times the number of women as men,” said Ms Trock, but that does not mean men should not take advantage of National Depression Screening Day. Ms Trock and Ms Cohen encouraged screening of children and adolescents, as well. “Depression can present as anger, irritability, poor sleeping habits, not eating, or tantrums in children,” said Ms Trock, and can be difficult to diagnose.

Those symptoms are also warning signs for adults, as well, she said. Other symptoms of depression to be aware of include persistent feelings of sadness, anxiety, hopelessness, worthlessness, or guilt; lack of enthusiasm for previously enjoyed activities; decreased energy; difficulty concentrating or making decisions; altered eating habits; and thoughts of death or suicide.

 “It is just a screening, so no one should be afraid to stop in. People can ask questions and get information on behalf of others, too,” Ms Cohen said.

 “We see depression across all ages, all economic levels,” said Ms Trock. “Often it is part of other conditions, like substance abuse, or children with learning disabilities, or it may run in the family.”

Many insurance companies now cover the cost of treating mental health issues, and at FCC a sliding payment scale is used. “Nobody is turned away,” said Ms Trock.

Theodore Roosevelt, Ludwig von Beethoven, Edgar Allen Poe, Georgia O’Keeffe, Mike Wallace, Kitty Dukakis, and many other famous persons struggled with depression in their otherwise successful lives. For many of them, diagnosis and treatment was marginal or absent, and what was then perceived as a weakness was hidden from the public. A lack of diagnosis and treatment does not have to hold true today, Mr Woolfolk said. “Depression has less social stigma today, due to educational efforts like Screening Day.”

The FCC hopes that through the anonymous screening, people will identify depression early on and seek help, said Ms Cohen. No appointment is necessary.