MASSACHUSETTS: Founded in Mass., National Depression Screening Day turns 25
October 16, 2015
Last Thursday, more than a thousand health clinics, campuses, and community organizations across the United States participated in National Depression Screening Day (NDSD) by hosting free screening events. Started in 1990 by Quincy Hospital near Boston, NDSD is both an opportunity for direct support, and a means of raising awareness about mental health issues. The screening is anonymous and takes only a few minutes to complete, asking questions about potential signs of depression like decreases in energy, changes in appetite, and hopelessness. Respondents whose answers indicate possible depression are encouraged to follow up with a health professional. Anyone who screens positive for suicide risk is referred to a crisis counselor who is present at the event. “We bring the screening in public to show that asking for help is a strength,” said Dori Hutchinson, director of Boston University’s Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation which hosts a screening event each year. “Everyone struggles. It’s part of the human condition. We just want to help people have a productive struggle.”
Spark Extra! Check out this recent survey about Americans’ shifting attitudes about mental health.