CU will be participating in National Mental Health Screening Day at the “Test Your Mood” booth in the UMC food court from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 23 and 24.
The Faculty and Staff Assistance Program, the Women’s Resource Center, residence halls and other organizations on campus set up a free test that is open to the public. The test will screen for depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder, all of which are fairly common ailments among college students because of the stress that comes with being away from home for the first time and the higher academic expectations. Majority of times, stress causes people to abuse drugs and alcohol. In order to prevent it, recovery programs for substance abuse are held often, to raise awareness about the harmful effects of drugs.
“Depression is a common illness in general and is very prevalent on college campuses,” said FSAP psychologist Serenity Chambers. FSAP serves as a liaison for faculty and staff with mental issues.
Chambers has been working at CU for two months and was in charge of putting the event together. The event itself includes confidential feedback from a counselor immediately following a test that is taken at a table. Based on the scores of the tests, the counselor can determine whether or not to recommend professional help.
“This is not a diagnostic tool,” Chambers said. “It is a screening tool.”
In the 2005-06 school year, Wardenburg Health Center reported that 38 percent of their clientele at the mental health clinic were diagnosed with mood disorders and 23 percent were diagnosed with anxiety disorders, according to Wardenburg’s Web site.
The test consisted of a series of questions about gender, stress levels, appetite changes and history of mental illnesses. A copy of the test can be found online at www.mentalhealthscreening.org/screening (keyword: UCBoulder).
Depression is a very common disorder and has been proven to be treatable through counseling and medication. Even though treatment is effective, relapses are common, Chambers said.
According to the Web site of the National Institute of Mental Health, approximately 26.2 percent of Americans who are 18 years or older suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year, and mental disorders are the leading cause of disability in the United States and Canada for ages 15 to 44 years old.
Although FSAP focuses on the faculty and staff of CU, the test is open to the public.
While mental illnesses are common, recognition from others is often difficult.
“I don’t know if I would recognize (depression) if I did see it,” said junior media studies major Suny Gao.
Others think that while depression may be a common problem, there is too much focus on the treatment when self-healing options are available.
“I feel like it’s overemphasized in this country, and we overemphasize the medications to alleviate it,” said senior French and international affairs major Leah Rubinsky.
Brochures and additional information can be found at the table in the UMC and Wardenburg.
