Anxiety and Depression Screening Day
On May 8, the Psychological Services Center (PSC) at the University of Massachusetts Amherst will be offering free anxiety and depression screening sessions for members of the local and campus community. This program is part of National Anxiety and Depression Awareness Week (May 3 through May 9).
Anxiety and depressive disorders are among the most common of all mental illnesses, afflicting more than 19 million Americans each year. They can be severe, chronic, extremely impairing to those affected by them, and can also have a devastating impact on family members. Anxiety symptoms can come in many forms, including intense fears about specific items or situations (phobias), unexplained panic attacks (panic disorder), anxiety in social/performance situations (social phobia), compulsive behavior related to obsessive thoughts (obsessive-compulsive disorder), anxiety associated with witnessing or experiencing a life-threatening trauma (post-traumatic stress disorder), and more general free-floating anxiety (generalized anxiety disorder). Common depressive symptoms include extreme sadness, decreases in pleasure, agitation or irritability, feelings of hopelessness, and thoughts of death or suicide. In some cases, individuals can experience cycling mood symptoms in which they fluctuate between depression and mania, a state associated with extreme happiness, grandiosity, extreme irritability, or even psychotic symptoms.
While the symptoms of depressive and anxiety disorders can be quite severe, considerable research has documented the effectiveness of treatment using psychotherapy, medication, or a combination of both.
The PSC is the teaching clinic for the Clinical Psychology program at the University of Massachusetts, which offers low-fee psychotherapy and psychological assessment services to members of the local and campus community. The PSC has a long history of offering high-quality, low-cost psychotherapy to clients who are in need, such as those without health insurance or who have inadequate insurance coverage for mental health services.
As a sponsoring site for National Anxiety and Depression Screening Day, the PSC hopes to raise community awareness about anxiety and depression. On May 8, 2009, members of the UMass and local community can meet with a clinician at the PSC to discuss symptoms of and treatments for anxiety and depression, as well as receive referrals to PSC clinicians and other local treatment providers. All individuals will be taken in on a walk-in basis. Free parking is available.
The PSC's Director, Dr. Christopher Overtree, views this program "as an opportunity to raise awareness about these serious psychological conditions, and hopefully, to reduce the stigma that is often associated with seeking mental health treatment." Dr. Overtree describes this program as "an initiative designed to increase access to quality mental health services in the Pioneer Valley." In 2008, the PSC was designated as an "Exemplary Community Initiative" by the University, which received recognition from the Carnegie Foundation as a Community Engaged University.
The PSC continues to offer low-cost psychotherapy for adults, children, adolescents, couples, and families, services that have been continuously available since 1963. For more directions, information about National Anxiety and Depression Screening Day or other programs, contact the Psychological Services Center by phone at (413) 545-0041 or by email at psc@psych.umass.edu, or visit the PSC website. The Psychological Services Center is located on the UMass campus at 135 Hicks Way, 123 Tobin Hall, Amherst, MA 01003.
Directions & Parking
The Psychological Services Center is located on the first floor of Tobin Hall on the UMass campus. Free parking and handicap access is available for visitors. Visit our website at www.umass.edu for driving directions. Visitors should park next to the building in spots labeled "Reserved for Clinical Psychology" and obtain a parking pass from the secretary upon arrival.