Feeling hopeless, sad, worthless, empty, anxious or helpless? Experiencing decreased energy? Having difficulty concentrating or making decisions? Experiencing a loss of interest in your usual activities? Having difficulty sleeping or sleeping more than usual? Experiencing a change in appetite? Having thoughts of death or suicide?
These are some of the many symptoms of depression, said Dr. Ginger Wright, University Suicide Prevention Program director and a Ph.D. clinical psychologist for Counseling and Psychological Services.
"Depression is the most common [patient complaint] at CAPS," Wright said.
According to CAPS intern James O'Rourke, about 35 to 40 percent of the approximately 7,500 students who contact CAPS each year "have some type of depressive symptoms."
To help address problems of this widespread medical illness within the University community, CAPS will be participating in the National Depression Screening Day for the first time today.
The program will be held this afternoon from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Elson Student Health Center. It will consist of a talk concerning depression by CAPS psychologists, a short self-evaluation to see if participants exhibit depressive symptoms, a video on depression, and an optional meeting with staff members to discuss the evaluation results and receive referrals for treatment, Wright said.
O'Rourke said one of CAPS' goals is to "to make people aware of depression -- that it's a treatable problem -- and make people aware of how widespread depression is."
CAPS also wants "to give people an opportunity to be evaluated and talk with a trained therapist about some of their depressed feelings," he said.
Though depression is relatively widespread, its symptoms can be difficult to recognize.
Many people experience depression and are not aware of it," Wright said.
People can mistake symptoms, such as difficulty sleeping or changes in appetite, for other disorders.
"A lot of times students attribute [the symptoms] to other things, when sometimes they are because of depression," said Jennifer Hirsch, a psychological intern for CAPS.
Besides identifying people with depression, the screening day is designed to encourage students to seek help.
"It's an increasingly widespread disorder, and people often feel uncomfortable seeking help," O'Rourke said. There are "ways to get help; one should not be embarrassed or feel there is any stigma attached -- there are people out in the community who can help."
For people who do seek help, depression can be effectively treated.
"The good news is that depression is very treatable," Wright said. "We offer two approaches for treatment: individual counseling and in some cases recommendations to try medications such as antidepressants. Some students do just counseling, some do both. The research in general shows that a combination of the two is the most effective."
"The treatments are, relatively speaking, effective," she said. "Students do improve and feel better."
At a national level, more than 80 percent of patients treated for depression improve within one year, O'Rourke said.
Treatment of depression also can be a preventive measure for suicide, Wright said.
"Research shows the majority of people who commit suicide are depressed, and if you diagnose and treat depression you are likely to prevent a person from committing suicide," she said.
"Hopefully we can change the course for them [the students] and steer them away from suicide," she added.
In future years, CAPS hopes to continue participation in the National Screening Day, which is a standardized program sponsored by a group in Massachusetts since 1991, Wright said.
"We're hoping to do it on an annual basis," she said. "We consider it an important part of our suicide prevention program."
She added that students who cannot attend the screening day, but feel they are experiencing signs of depression, can call CAPS at 243-5150 to schedule an individual, confidential appointment.
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