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National Depression Screening Day event set for Thursday

The Region 1 Behavioral Health Authority will hold a depression screening and awareness event to recognize National Depression Screening Day at the Scottsbluff Monument Mall on Thursday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The event is funded through the Garrett Lee Smith Suicide Prevention Grant. This is the 25th year that a National Depression Screening Day has been held.

Additional community partners participating in the screening include DOVES and Panhandle Public Health VETSET Nebraska.

The initiative raises awareness about depression, and helps individuals with the condition find opportunities for assessment and treatment.

People who cannot make the event can always visit http://screening.mentalhealthscreening.org/region-1-BHA to take a free and anonymous screening and find local resources. The screening provides a comfortable and private way for individuals to assess their mental health. While the screening is not diagnostic, it will indicate existing symptoms and if further assessment by a clinician is advisable.

Experts estimate that almost 16 million adults experience depression, which is the No. 1 cause of disability worldwide. Fortunately, depression is a highly treatable illness. Symptoms of depression include:

Feelings of sadness or emptiness that don’t go away within a few weeks

Extreme irritability over minor things

Loss of interest in activities once enjoyed

Difficulty concentrating

Appetite/weight changes

“Screening for mental health should be as routine as screening for blood pressure or other physical health problems,” says Kim Strong, consumer initiatives coordinator for Region 1 Behavioral Health Authority. “National Depression Screening Day is a chance for anyone to take a free and anonymous self-assessment in the privacy of their own home.”

Screening events will be held across the country on Thursday. The screening site, http://www.HelpYourselfHelpOthers.org provides a full listing of participating organizations.

 

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