Northern Westchester Hospital to hold Free Screenings for Depression - October 10
Northern Westchester Hospital (NWH) in Mt. Kisco, NY, will be conducting free, confidential depression screenings on Friday, October 10, 2008. During this National Depression Screening Day event, individuals will have the opportunity to complete a brief, written questionnaire; learn about the symptoms of depression; and learn how to help a friend or family member who may be at risk. Health care professionals from the hospital's Behavioral Health department will be available to answer questions and discuss concerns regarding this topic. The screenings will be offered from 12 - 2 p.m. and 7 - 9 p.m. in Conference Room A.
According to Screening for Mental Health Inc., depressive disorders affect approximately 18.8 million American adults or about 9.5 percent of the U.S. population age 18 and older each year. Trauma, loss of a loved one, a difficult relationship, or any stressful situation may trigger a depressive episode. Subsequent depressive episodes may occur with or without an obvious trigger. More than 80 percent of people with clinical depression can be successfully treated.
National Depression Screening Day is held each October during Mental Illness Awareness Week. Screening Day is designed to call attention to the illness of depression on a national level, educate the public about its symptoms and effective treatments, offer individuals the opportunity to be screened for depression, and connect those in need of treatment to the mental health care system. Northern Westchester Hospital is one of 3,000 screening sites nationwide.
For more information on National Depression Screening Day, call the NWH Behavioral Health unit at (914) 666-1590 or visit www.MentalHealthScreening.org.
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