DENVER -- Contact: Cassi Ricks

Maria Droste Counseling Center

cassi_ricks@mariadroste.org

303-867-4609

Online Mental Health Screening Program Helps to Identify Depression and Mood Disorders
Maria Droste Counseling Center offers screenings at www.mentalhealthscreening.org/screening/MARIADROSTE

Denver, CO – Depression affects all walks of life. From young adults to the elderly and across all races, nearly one in 10 people in the U.S. suffer from depression. Screening for depression and other mood disorders allows individuals to identify warning signs early and connect with the appropriate treatment resources. Early recognition and treatment offers the best opportunity for recovery.

National Depression Screening Day®, held on October 10th, 2013, serves as a supportive community initiative to connect the public with online mental health screenings. Through this program, Maria Droste Counseling Center is offering a free, anonymous mental health screening at www.mentalhealthscreening.org/screening/MARIADROSTE.

Online mental health screenings are a free and easy way for people to monitor their mental health and learn about local treatment options. While Maria Droste’s online mental health screening is not diagnostic, it can give a good indication of whether the person taking the screening should seek further help. In a recent independent study commissioned by the nonprofit Screening for Mental Health, 55 percent of study participants who completed an online depression and mood disorder screening sought treatment within three months of taking the screening.

Linda McKinzie, Executive Director at Maria Droste Counseling Center, said, “Depression is an isolating experience and often causes people to feel immobilized and unable to take the next step. Having a screening tool like this helps to provide a next step that is easier to achieve. Once someone finds the words to better understand what they are experiencing, they are often able to reach out for the help that they need.”

In addition to providing an online mental health screening, Maria Droste Counseling Center addresses the need for mental health services by providing the absolute highest quality mental health care to those in need, regardless of their ability to pay. Annually, more than 1,245 adults and children burdened by depression, addiction, emotional trauma, and loss receive life changing counseling and support at Maria Droste. Programs include early intervention counseling for at-risk children in more than 20 schools, support for victims of crime and trauma and family and couples counseling (http://www.mariadroste.org/what-we-do/relationships/marri...). For more information, visit www.MariaDroste.org.