More than 20 million people in the United States — approximately one in 15 — suffer from depression, according to the National Library of Medicine.
Thursday is National Depression Screening Day and, in support, several university programs will offer free, in-person, one-on-one mental health screenings for depression.
“We’re fortunate programs exist to help us recognize and cope with how life’s stressors and events may be affecting our mental and emotional well-being,” says Kathleen Robertson, director of the U-M Health System Employee Assistance Program (UMHS EAP). “Screenings for mental health are as important as screenings for heart disease and diabetes and should be a routine part of our health care.”
In-person depression screenings will be conducted Thursday at the following locations:
• U-M Psychological Clinic, 530 Church St., Suite 2463, noon-6 p.m. (open to the public, no university affiliation needed)
• Rackham Graduate School, 915 E. Washington St., second floor, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. (open to the public, no university affiliation needed)
• UMHS Employee Assistance Program (UMHS EAP), D2101 Medical Professional Building, and at the Towsley Triangle, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
• U-M Faculty and Staff Assistance Program (U-M FASAP), 1009 Greene St., 2076 Administrative Services Building, 1-4 p.m. (employees and immediate family members only)
For those who cannot attend an in-person screening, online mental health screenings also are available for depression and other common mental health conditions, including bipolar disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, alcohol misuse, eating disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder.
For faculty and staff, MHealthy offers confidential, anonymous online mental health screenings at www.mhealthy.umich.edu/understandingu/screen. Participants will receive an immediate result at the end of each screening that can be printed and taken to a counselor for further evaluation, if necessary.
For students, Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) offers a 24/7 online screening tool at www.umich.edu/~caps (click on the online screenings link on the left side of the page).
Short-term counseling for university students, faculty and staff always is available:
• Ann Arbor campus and Flint employees can contact U-M FASAP at 734-936-8660 or [email protected].
• UMHS employees can contact UMHS EAP at 734-763-5409 or [email protected].
• Dearborn employees can call 313-593-5430.
• Students can contact CAPS at 734-764-8312 or go to www.umich.edu/~caps for more information. No-cost services are available for faculty and staff.
Additionally, the Psychological Clinic is a U-M agency offering outpatient mental health services for adults and couples 18 and over. University affiliation is not required to receive services. The Psychological Clinic is a fee-for-service clinic, and accepts insurances and offers sliding scale fees. Call 734-764-3471 for more information.
Go to www.mhealthy.umich.edu/screenings to learn more about all options available.
Screenings are provided through the cooperative efforts of the U-M Depression Center (www.depressioncenter.org), U-M Psychological Clinic (www.psychclinic.org), U-M Counseling and Psychological Services (www.umich.edu/~caps), MHealthy (U-M FASAP (www.mhealthy.umich.edu/fasap) and UMHS EAP (www.mhealthy.umich.edu/eap) and Rackham Graduate School (www.rackham.umich.edu).
