For more information, check out our article "Program attempts to help men cope with depression"
Eighteen hours of class, 10 hours of work and many social obligations can damper anyone's mood.
But many people are affected by depression and may not be aware of it.
Today is National Depression Screening Day.
Robert Portnoy, the director of Counseling and Psychological Services at the University Health Center, said he wants as many University of Nebraska-Lincoln students to be screened for depression as possible.
The screening will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Nebraska Union and 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Nebraska East Union. It is not just for students, he said, but for UNL faculty and staff members as well.
"Nationally more than 70 percent of people that commit suicide were not in treatment at the time, and many may not have even known they had a problem," Portnoy said.
To increase attendance to the 14th annual screening, all students who complete the tests will enter their names into a raffle to win a free video iPod.
The screening will only take five to 10 minutes, Portnoy said, yet it can prevent a lifetime's worth of problems.
Students should consider participating anonymously if they have developed symptoms such as a depressed mood, lack of enjoyment of normal activities, fatigue, loss of energy and change in weight or appetite, he said.
Many students might not choose to participate because of the stigma that can go along with depression, said Dave Miers, the manager of program development and outpatient health care at Bryan LGH Medical Center.
"People may consider going online or in-person screenings (at a family doctor) so no one can see you doing it," Miers said.
Bryan LGH offers free online screenings at www.bryanlgh.org as well as alcohol and anxiety screenings.
Karen Mohatt, a licensed clinical psychologist in Lincoln, wants students to know that fear is not an adequate reason to abstain from getting treatment for depression.
"The stigma around mental illness, while it still exists, is every bit as important as treating strep throat or a virus," Mohatt said.
Treatment is successful and people should not be afraid to have a consultation, Miers said.
"After the treatment is complete, 80 to 90 percent of people go back to normal lives and routines," he said.
Even if students feel they do not have a problem, Portnoy said, they should still go in just for information. Last year, some students came in for just the iPod but then discovered they suffered from depression, he said.
"Depression is the most common brain disorder. It is also the most treatable. Only a third of people with depression go to seek treatment," Miers said. "There are a lot of people out there that go on with their day."
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