| Wednesday , September 29, 1999 |
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, depression strikes more than 17 million Americans each year. Only one of every four individuals with depression actually seek treatment, even though treatment can heal over 80 percent of those affected. Oct. 7, 28 metropolitan Atlanta sites will offer a free, confidential screening for clinical depression by mental health professionals. Warning signs of depression include feelings of guilt, sadness or irritabilty, loss of appetite, loss of interest or pleasure in activities, fatigue or loss of energy, restlessness, and thoughts of death and suicide. Participants at the depression screening will hear a brief talk on causes, symptoms and the treatments of depression followed by a short video. Individuals will complete an anonymous self inventory of depression symptoms and have the opportunity to discuss the results with a mental health professional. The screenings will be conducted on a walk-in basis and resource information will be available. National Depression Screening Day is sponsored by the American Psychiatric Association, the National Institute of Mental Health and the Depressive and Manic Depressive Association, among others. “This metropolitan wide effort to provide mental health screening for depression will educate the public about signs and symptoms of depression and encourage those who may be vulnerable to seek evaluation and treatment,” said Cynthia Wainscott, executive director, National Mental Health Association of Georgia. Based on national statistics, nearly 400,000 metro Atlanta residents are at risk for depression each year. With the 28 metro locations some 10,000 individuals can be screened for depression. The screening is part of the ninth annual National Depression Screening Day program. The closest sites to Fayette County will be at Riverwoods at Southern Regional in Riverdale and Kaiser Permanente's Southwood Medical Facility in Jonesboro. Call 1-800-573-4433 to find the location nearest you.
|
||||||