National Depression Screening Day

Depression is one of the most common mental health illnesses, but routine depression screenings are not always a part of healthcare. National Depression Screening Day was founded to educate people on the need for regular screening and to remove the stigma surrounding depression and mental health treatment. Read on to learn more about the symptoms of depression and resources that you can utilize to get screened and get help.

Why Screen for Depression?

Clinical depression is a serious mental illness that affects many people, and has a variety of dangerous consequences:

• Depression can co-occur with other medical conditions and present complications.
• Clinical depression can lead to suicide or self-harming behaviors.
• Depression is common: Around 6.7 percent of American adults, 16 million people, are affected by depression each year. 
• Only one-third, 33 percent, of people with depression seek help.
• People with depression often believe that their symptoms are a normal part of their life.

Who Should Get Screened?

Clinical depression affects people across all genders, races, and socioeconomic groups. Anyone should get screened if they experience some of these key symptoms:

• Persistent feelings of sadness, anxiety, or emptiness.
• Suicidal ideation: thoughts of suicide or death.
• Loss of interest or enjoyment in pleasurable activities.
• Fatigue or loss of energy.
• Restlessness or irritation.
• Concentration difficulties or problems with making decisions.
• Difficulty with memory.
• Sleep problems: insomnia, disturbed sleep, sleeping too much, early waking.
• Reduced or increased appetite.
• Weight gain or weight loss.

 If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, consider taking an online depression screening provided by Mental Health America. You can also discuss your symptoms with your primary care physician, who can refer you to a mental health specialist. And if you're experiencing thoughts of suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, available 24 hours.