REGION — Preventative screenings are health care at its most proactive. They’re convenient, and they can quickly address and improve an issue well before it gets out of control. 

Depression and other mental health disorders are part of this group. October marks National Depression and Mental Health Screening Month, World Mental Health Day on October 10, and Mental Health Awareness Week (October 5-11), which was established by Congress in 1990 through the advocacy of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).

This year’s Mental Illness Awareness Week carries the theme “Building Community: Supporting Mental Well-Being Together.” According to NAMI, the focus was on “the power of meaningful connections, grassroots advocacy, and local action to strengthen mental health support nationwide.” There’s no question that a higher emphasis should be placed on depression screenings, given that the disease doesn’t discriminate, affecting men and women of all ages, races and socioeconomic groups. And considering the everyday stresses of modern life, it’s hardly surprising that the rates of anxiety and depression continue to increase each year.

According to a November 2024 brief issued by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Bureau of Health Workforce, about 59 million U.S. adults—23 percent of all American adults—had a mental illness in 2023, with nearly half of them not receiving treatment. 

Behavioral health services can be difficult to access due to behavioral health provider shortages, high out-of-pocket costs, coverage gaps and other factors. The national average wait time for behavioral health services is 48 days, according to HRSA.

Screenings are appropriate for anyone experiencing several of these common symptoms of depression: 

Persistent sadness or anxiousness 

Too little or too much sleep 

Reduced or increased appetite and weight loss or gain 

Loss of interest in favorite activities 

Restlessness or irritability

Difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions

Fatigue or loss of energy

Thoughts of death or suicide

Here at The Wright Center for Community Health, we offer numerous behavioral health services, including therapy, psychological assessments, and psychiatric care, for children, adolescents, as well as adults struggling with anxiety, depression, ADHD, bipolar disorder, substance-related and addictive disorders, bullying, relationship stressors, LGBTQI+ issues, trauma, and loss and grief. We’ll keep doing everything in our power to get people the help they need to lead happy, productive lives. 

Aditi Sharma, M.D., MPH, is a psychiatrist at The Wright Center for Community Health Scranton, 501 S. Washington Ave. She treats adults who are experiencing depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions, providing consultations and evaluations to develop personalized behavioral health and medicinal care plans. 

The center has recently hired new staff psychiatrists, and provides office-based remote and in-person psychiatry appointments for patients of all ages. Visit www.TheWrightCenter.org or call 570/941-0630 to make an appointment.