Over 200 Students Screened For Depression This Week

Lured by a patchwork of brochures, a collection of multi-colored stress balls, and an extensive postering campaign, over 200 students were screened for depression in the past two days—with roughly one-third referred to counseling based on their responses.

This year, the Mental Health Advocacy and Awareness Group (MHAAG) publicized and performed the annual screening, which had been carried out by University Health Services (UHS) in years past.

Taking on a new, prominent role in the screening, MHAAG moved the event to Loker Commons, and held it from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., during the lunchtime rush.

“It’s very important for the starting point of care to be incorporated into students’ daily lives,” MHAAG co-chair David B. Canose ’04 said of the venue change. “By integrating the treatment with daily life, there is a higher probability that students will commit to a full course of care.”

In years past, the event took place in the mental health wing of UHS’ Holyoke location.

“They only got people who were willing to come into UHS anyway,” MHAAG co-chair Caitlin E. Stork ’04 said. “We’ve already gotten like 20 times the amount of response as last year.”

In the course of two days, 63 students were successfully referred to UHS or the Bureau of Study Counsel for treatment based on their responses to the screening forms, according to Stork.

“That means that about one-third of all those screened weren’t in treatment when they should have been,” Stork said.

The forms asked about issues including moods, eating and sleeping habits, energy level and interest in daily activities.

Questionnaires screened for depression and several related mental illnesses such as anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and mood disorders.

“Depression can be a catch-all thing,” Canose said. “Depression is in the vernacular now, so it can be easy to grab onto, but sometimes there are very specific underlying issues.”

The event was sponsored by the National Depression Screening Day, a program run by Screening for Mental Health, Inc. and the American Psychiatric Association.

Stork said she believes Harvard is one of the only schools in the area to host a depression screening day.

After students filled out diagnostic forms, their responses were scored, and they had a short consultation with UHS mental health services staff members on hand.

Dr. Richard D. Kadison, director of UHS Mental Health Services, was unavailable for comment.

MHAAG also hosted a discussion Tuesday night about mental health parity in insurance, led by Richard G. Frank, Morris professor of health care policy at Harvard Medical School.

Insurance plans currently do not include equal coverage for mental health care, compared to other types of care, partially because of a stigma hindering people from demanding parity, Frank said.

—Staff writer Katharine A. Kaplan can be reached at kkaplan@fas.harvard.edu.