THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, October 10, 1996 TAG: 9610100309
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PAT DOOLEY, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 88 lines
Often, we misread the signs:
A grandmother who once loved baking on weekends but no longer enjoys her hobby; a teen whose appetite suddenly, inexplicably wanes; a worried dad who can't concentrate at work or sleep at night.
Is it a fleeting case of the blues? Just a phase?
Or is it depression, a debilitating medical condition that afflicts 17 million Americans each year?
Although clinical depression is treatable, fewer than half of those who suffer from it will be diagnosed and helped, according to the American Psychiatric Association.
Today, people in South Hampton Roads and elsewhere can learn more about depression and how to help themselves and loved ones.
Free testing will be offered at 2,900 sites nationwide as part of National Depression Screening Day.
Most locations - including Norfolk State University and Hampton Roads Behavioral Health in Norfolk, and Parker, Schlichter & Associates in Virginia Beach - will be open to the public.
Testing includes a questionnaire, short video, informational presentation, one-on-one talk with a clinician and a referral, if needed.
The screenings are anonymous because some people, out of fear or embarrassment, avoid getting help, said Joelle Reizes, associate director for the national program.
Common symptoms of depression include:
Loss of pleasure or interest in normal activities.
Feelings of sadness, hopelessness or worthlessness.
Sleeping too much or too little.
Eating too much or too little.
Irritability, anxiety or restlessness.
Lack of concentration.
Unexplained aches and pains.
Fatigue or loss of energy.
Preoccupation with death or suicide.
Depression differs from sadness in its duration and intensity, said Teri Doudna-North, a licensed clinical social worker at Hampton Roads Behavioral Health.
Clinical depression usually is defined by having five or more symptoms, lasting two weeks or longer, and including loss of interest in once-pleasurable pastimes, Doudna-North said.
While sadness may alter one's mood, depression is more likely to interfere with routine activities, energy and overall ability to function, she said.
Unlike sadness, which everyone feels at times, clinical depression hovers over its victims for weeks, months or even years.
``People who are depressed have a real hard time motivating themselves to do things,'' she said. Feelings of guilt may compound the depression.
Senior citizens - often affected by multiple losses, such as the death of a loved one, retirement, failing physical health, or seeing their children move away - may experience depression but think of it as a natural part of aging.
``Their coping mechanisms just become overwhelmed,'' Doudna-North said.
Yet depression is one of the most treatable illnesses among the elderly, she said. About 80 percent of depressed people respond to treatment.
Most of the 250,000 people tested through the 6-year-old national screening program initially were depressed, according to a survey of participants. About 60 percent of sufferers followed through on referrals; more than 90 percent of them received treatment.
Last year, more than 80,000 people visited 2,400 sites nationwide, Reizes said.
The project was begun by Dr. Douglas Jacobs, an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Coordinated by the National Mental Illness Screening Project, it is part of Mental Illness Awareness Week. ILLUSTRATION: Graphic
TO GET TESTED
Free, anonymous testing for depression will be open to the public
today in South Hampton Roads at three locations:
Norfolk State University, from 1 to 5 p.m. in Room 126-B of
G.W.C. Brown Hall. Call 683-8173 for information or directions.
Parker, Schlichter & Associates, at 10 a.m. and 3 and 7 p.m., at
168 Business Park Drive, Suite 101, Virginia Beach. Call 473-3770.
Hampton Roads Behavioral Health, from noon to 2 p.m. and from 6
to 8 p.m., at 7400 Granby St., Suite H, Norfolk. Call 587-4744.
Also, Old Dominion University will offer screenings for students
and employees only, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the counseling offices
at Webb Center. Call 683-4401.
Reservations are not required.
For other screening locations in Virginia and elsewhere, call
toll-free: (800) 573-4433. by CNB