Depression affects approximately one in 10 adults in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Thursday is National Depression Screening Day. In support, several University of Michigan programs are offering faculty, staff and students free online and in-person confidential mental health screenings for depression.
Free screenings are a good way for people to find out if depression might be the cause of feelings they have been experiencing, including prolonged sadness, anxiety, irritability, loss of pleasure in activities, feelings of hopelessness and worthlessness and even physical pain.
Online mental health screenings 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.
• For students, Counseling and Psychological Services offers a 24/7 online screening tool at www.mitalk.umich.edu/identify-a-problem.
• 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.
Free, in-person depression screenings with a trained mental health professional also will be conducted Thursday at the following locations. Feedback provided after a screening is informational, not diagnostic. Based on screening results, mental health professionals may recommend a more comprehensive evaluation.
• U-M Psychological Clinic, 500 E. Washington St., Suite 100, noon-6 p.m. (Open to the public, no university affiliation needed.)
• U-M Depression Center, in partnership with the College of Engineering, the Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, and Rackham Graduate School, 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., in the Duderstadt Center on North Campus (Open to the public, no university affiliation needed.)
• U-M Health System Employee Assistance Program, D2101 Medical Professional Building, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. (for UMHS faculty, staff, and immediate family members).
• U-M Faculty and Staff Assistance Program, 1009 Greene St., 2076 Administrative Services Building, 1-4 p.m. (for campus employees and their immediate family members).
Short-term counseling for university students, faculty and staff is always available at no cost:
• Ann Arbor and Flint campus employees can contact U-M FASAP at 734-936-8660 or [email protected].
• Dearborn campus employees can call 313-593-5430.
• UMHS employees can contact UMHS EAP at 734-763-5409 or [email protected].
• Students can contact CAPS at 734-764-8312 or go to www.caps.umich.edu for more information.
Additionally, the U-M Psychological Clinic is a university agency offering outpatient mental health services for adults and couples 18 and older. 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. Please call 734-764-3471 or visit www.psychclinic.org/ for more information.
The complete listing of depression screening events on campus also is provided online at mhealthy.umich.edu/screenings.
