October is National Depression and Mental Health Screening Month

October 15, 2021

Feeling sad or anxious? Not motivated to do your normal activities? Loss of appetite or overeating? These feelings can be temporary, or they can be longer lasting and interrupting how you normally function. Depression can look differently for everyone. But the most important thing to remember is you are not alone, and there are ways to determine if it is depression or something else.
300 million people worldwide experience depression, and it is estimated that 15% of the adult population will experience depression at some point in their lifetime. Because it is something that many people experience, October has been set aside as National Depression & Mental Health Screening Month. This observance is designed to bring awareness to depression and the need for accessible and affordable mental health screenings.
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms of depression or have any mental health concern, a health care practitioner or mental health professional can help. Depression can be treated with therapy or counseling and in some cases, a combination of therapy and medication.
Depression and other mental health concerns oftentimes go untreated or inaccurately diagnosed. It is important to get screened to assess whether what you are experiencing is something more serious and would benefit from support. You can get screened by scheduling an appointment with your health care provider, counseling center, or mental health provider. There are also some great introductory level screenings online that can help you start the conversation.
Mental Health Test- Mental Health America Take a Mental Health Test - MHA Screening (mhanational.org)
If you are experiencing symptoms of depression or have other mental health concerns, the Counselors at the Santa Fe College Counseling Center, https://www.sfcollege.edu/counseling/index , are available to help and support you. In-person, Zoom or phone sessions are available from 8:30am to 4:00pm Monday through Friday. To schedule a session, call (352) 395-5508 or e-mail counseling@sfcollege.edu.