In addition to Bice, Tammy Earl is employed as a staff interpreter. One month after the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks, Student Life and Student Support Services will sponsor National Depression Screening Day from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 11, in the college union. Students, faculty and people from the community can receive free depression screenings, said Mary Turner, coordinator of student support services. One goal of the event is to better educate people about illnesses related to brain chemistry. She said at times, people feel that a person with mental health issues is simply trying to get sympathy when in reality, that person has a true disease.
Symptoms vary from person to person.
A long-term sadness, a feeling of disconnecting from people, losing pleasure in things you once enjoyed, either sleeping much more or much less than normal or eating much more or much less than normal are symptoms of depression. Young people and the elderly tend to know they're not feeling the same, but do not know why, said Turner. The screening is an annual event and not scheduled at this time for any particular reason. Turner said the screening will not provide diagnosis or therapy. Writer Campus clubs and organizations began fund-raising efforts last week.