DE Campus Life Editor 19

Feelings of sadness, worthlessness or irritability are not always causes to panic, but as part of the National Depression Screening Day, SIUC students and community members can take a test to see if they are chronically depressed.

At the seventh annual National Depression Screening Day Thursday, students can be screened for depression and given treatment options.

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Angie Will, the assistant coordinator for wellness programming, said this is the first year that the screenings will be done on campus.

People can come visit the free screenings and receive education about what depression is, she said. They fill out the sheet, and then the Wellness Center counselors speak to them.

Barb Fijolek, Wellness Center coordinator, said the questionnaire consists of questions about how people feel about themselves.

There is a variety of questions about how severe the symptoms are or how chronic the symptoms are, she said. It’s normal to be depressed for a day or a couple of days.

The questions help to determine how severe the symptoms are.

There is a difference in feeling a little blue and not being able to function, she said. It depends on if (the person) will be able to shake off these feelings in a couple of days.

There are different resources for the varying degrees of depression.

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The Wellness Center sees people for short-term information and education, she said. They might benefit from talking to someone or some self-help books we have here.

For people with severe depression, there are other methods of treatment.

For severe cases, we offer physicians for medication or a counselor, Fijolek said. The counseling center offers long-term therapy for students who need that kind of help.

Anita Thomas, a senior in social work from Chicago, said although she sometimes suffers with bouts of depression, she uses her own methods to combat the problem.

I get depressed about things like money or school and especially my health, she said. I just read a book or hang out with my friends who crack jokes and make me laugh.

Fijolek said a lot of students have problems with depression, and do not know that they can be helped.

We see students who come in and have problems with eating, sleeping and worrying, she said. After getting help, they have improved in a very short time and are able to stay in school and be successful.

Depression is recognized by both the American Medical Association and National Mental Health Association as being a mental disorder.

According to the NMHA, more than 51 million Americans have a mental disorder in a single year, and about 16 percent of those seek treatment.

There are many different causes for depression.

It is different for different people, Fijolek said. An event can cause depression, or maybe losing a girlfriend or boyfriend. A tragedy or negative event like a parent dying, an argument or even a biological base can cause depression.

Many people are unaware that depression can run in families.

If a parent or grandparent suffers from depression, then that can be passed on, Fijolek said. People don’t know why they feel that way, and sometimes it won’t show up until college age. They may not know what’s going on, but it’s treatable.

Fijolek said many students try to mask their depression by drinking or eating excessively.

Being on a college campus, we see a lot of students who drink alcohol or party too much to mask the mood change, she said. If people are drinking or eating to change moods, I’d like them to know that there are other healthier ways to change their moods.

FACTOID:On Thursday, depression screenings are available from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Student Health Assessment Center at the south end of the first floor of the Student Center and 3 to 6 p.m. at the Wellness Outreach Office, 106 Trueblood.

For more information call 453-5238 or 536-4441