National Depression Screening Day

October 10, 2018

Thursday, October 11^th is National Depression Screening Day. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 16 million Americans are impacted by depression every year. The condition does not discriminate and affects people of all ages, genders, ethnicities, and income levels. One of the biggest challenges to effective treatment is the willingness to be screened for depression.
Mental Health America has a helpful online depression screening tool which can begin to break down the barrier of fear. If you have symptoms of depression, you should have a conversation with a loved one or seek consultation with a professional. The first step to help is a conversation with someone who can affirm that it is okay to experience the symptoms of depression and can reassure that assistance or treatment will make a difference.
At The Rees-Jones Foundation, we firmly believe that depression can be treated and we actively invest in mental health care and treatment in the community. We know that life circumstances can catch up to people and lead to symptoms of depression, so we are interested in providing as many qualified points of help as possible. But the first step is knowing that you need help.
So we encourage you to take a screening on National Depression Screening Day. Whether or not you find that you need help, have a conversation with someone about depression and mental health. This day, and every day, is an opportunity to reduce fear around talking about mental health.