Thank God it's Friday, but if you're still depressed, you should get tested.
One in four adults experience some sort of mental health disorder each year, including depression, anxiety disorder and panic attacks. Advocates are encouraging everyone to get screened.
"This is an anonymous screening that everyone can take, and it's a good screening for anybody and everybody to take. It really gets us to slow down, stop and review how things are going for us."
Karen Handrich President/CEO of Mental Health America of Wisconsin . Handrich says health screenings help to provide a quick and easy way to detect the first signs of serious illness, whether it's physical or mental. Much like screenings for diabetes or heart disease, Handrich says depression screenings should be a routine part of healthcare.
"We're hoping that when people take this screening that they can look at this — you'll get an immediate result with recommendations."
Clinical depression is a common medical illness affecting more than 19 million American adults each year, and can lead to suicide. A depression screening is free and confidential. You can expect to hear information about depression, complete a written screening test, and discuss the results with a mental health professional. If necessary, they'll tell you where to go for additional help.
Friday is National Depression Screening Day, part of Mental Illness Awareness Week – October 5-11.
AUDIO: Jackie Johnson report (1:34 MP3)
