As part of the 8th annual National Depression Screening Day program, the Mental Health Association of Metropolitan Atlanta will offer free, confidential screenings for clinical depression on Oct. 8. The screenings will be conducted by mental health professionals at 25 sites throughout the metro Atlanta area. Appointments are not necessary.

Depression strikes 15 million Americans each year, according to figures from the National Institute of Mental Health. Only one in four individuals with depression, however, actually seeks treatment even though treatment can heal 80 percent of those affected.

Warning signs of depression include:

* feelings of sadness or irritablity

* loss of interest in pleasure or activities

* change in weight or appetite

* feeling guilty, hopeless or worthless

* fatigue or loss of energy

* restlessness or decreased activity

* thoughts of death or suicide

Several of these symptoms for two weeks or more may indicate clinical depression, a medical illness that can be effectively treated.

The screening program format includes a lecture with slides; facts about depression; a question and answer period; a videotape; informational materials; an anonymous self report form; a screening with a mental health professional; and referral options.

There are three locations in Riverdale in Clayton County participating in the Oct. 8 screenings: RiverWoods at Southern Regional, Cassandra Floyd, 770-991-8500; Clayton Center Child and Adolescent Services, Helen Trouth, 770-991-7420; and Flint River Child and Adolescent Services, Helen Trouth, 770-991-7420. For a complete list of sites, phone the Mental Health Association of Metropolitan Atlanta, 404-527-7175.

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