October is National Depression and Mental Health Screening Month

October is filled with a focus on mental health education and depression awareness. The entire month is filled with sharing information and awareness of screenings and prevention.

Mental Health Advocates of WNY (MHA) has long been a proponent of prevention and early intervention when it comes to mental health struggles. MHA programs like BEST (Basic Emotion Skills Training) help children ages pre-K through Grade 2 develop healthy social and emotional skills; Just Tell One is an awareness campaign that gives young people ages 12-26 the tools and confidence to identify and start the conversation about their mental or behavioral health concerns; and MHA youth peer advocates are in schools sharing their lived experience through a variety of programs to help middle and high school students identify issues and develop coping skills to better manage their emotional and behavioral challenges.

On average it takes 10 years after symptoms appear for someone to seek treatment. Prevention and early intervention can help shorten that gap and help keep a manageable condition from turning into a life-altering crisis.

Roughly 40 million adults in the U.S. struggle with depression or anxiety. Not to mention the family, friends, and coworkers that are also impacted. Taking a mental health screening, whether an adult or child, is one of the quickest and easiest ways to determine whether someone is experiencing symptoms of a mental health condition.

MHA SCREENINGS ARE FREE, ANONYMOUS, AND CONFIDENTIONAL
You can take a free, anonymous and confidential mental health screening for depression, anxiety and other conditions by going to our website, mhawny.org/screening.  Mental health conditions like depression or anxiety are real, common, and treatable. If the results of your screening indicate the need for continued support, call us at (716) 886-1242 to speak with an information & referral specialist. They can help you find the support and services you need.