The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) will be offering free screenings for depression Oct. 10 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. in the UAMS Medical Center lobby gallery for anyone age 18 and older. No registration is necessary.
The screenings are being held in conjunction with National Depression Screening Day, part of National Mental Illness Awareness Week. They are sponsored by the UAMS Psychiatric Research Institute and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Arkansas. Participants who take the short questionnaire and are considered at risk for depression will be referred to local mental health professionals.
Depression is the leading cause of disability in the U.S. for ages 15 to 44. It affects more than 15 million American adults, or about 6.7 percent of the U.S. population age 18 and older in a given year.