National Depression Screening Day
Held annually during Mental Illness Awareness Week in October, National Depression Screening Day (NDSD) is comprised of awareness events that include an optional screening component.
Roughly 40 million adults in the U.S. struggle with depression or anxiety. Not to mention the family, friends, and coworkers that are also impacted. National Depression Screening Day is held annually on October 10. It’s important for many reasons. First, it can help people make an informed diagnosis. It also drags depression out of the darkness. And perhaps most important, it can bring help to those that need it.
National Depression Screening Day began as an effort to reach individuals across the nation with important mental health education and connect them with support services. Screening for Mental Health (SMH) pioneered National Depression Screening Day as the first, voluntary, mental health screening initiative in 1990. Twenty-five years later, NDSD has expanded to thousands of colleges, community-based organizations, military agencies, hospital and city offices providing the program to the public each year.
How to Observe National Depression Screening Day
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Learn something new
For those suffering symptoms, use National Depression Screening Day as a chance to learn how to manage them. For those who do not suffer from depression, learn how to help someone else.
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Reach out to someone
Most people probably know someone suffering from depression. Reach out to them and let them know you support their battle.
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Contribute to the fight
Whether or not you suffer from depression, use this day to fight back. Learn about volunteer opportunities. Or just write a Facebook post about the battle against depression — and let others know you understand and care.
Why National Depression Screening Day is Important
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Am I depressed?
Health care professionals meet with people who are suffering symptoms to help them understand their feelings and diagnose their condition.
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It spreads resources
Teaching everyone about the signs, symptoms and effects of depressions helps us understand. It also puts helpful resources in the hands of more people. Even those who aren’t suffering from depression can be impacted by it.
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It fights a stigma
Depression and anxiety disorders are still largely viewed as something to hide. On this day, communities come together to learn about depression together. All of this helps fight the negative stigmas around depression.
Take an anonymous screening to see if you are struggling with depression here.
And to help support the campaign, use by hashtags #NDSD and #ReachOut on your social media.