September 12, 2003 (sites list updated on October 3, 2003)
BC-wide Depression Screening and Education, October 9th:
Recent StatsCan mental health survey highlights high depression and anxiety rates and need to reach out to those who need help
Statistics Canada, in its recently-released nationwide Community Health Survey, confirmed what many advocates and professionals have long suspected: that mood and anxiety disorders affect as many people as other leading chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease — with at least 5% affected in any given year. The study also highlighted the strong link between mental disorders and drug or alcohol dependence. In BC, tentative figures place the rate for any mental disorder or substance dependence measured in the survey at around 12% or nearly 400,000 British Columbians.
The good news is that nearly 40% of those who suffered from any of the surveyed mental disorders or alcohol or drug dependence used some type of health care or community resource, and the majority were very satisfied with the help they received. Less encouraging is that at least half as many felt they needed help during the past year, but didn’t receive it. Given regular press coverage on Canada’s health care crisis, one might expect that the most commonly-cited reasons for not getting help were related to the availability, accessibility or effectiveness of treatments, professionals or other supports. Not so; surprisingly, the main reasons people didn’t get help were because they afraid to ask for if or of what others would think, did not think their problems important enough to make the time to seek help, or preferred to take care of their symptoms on their own.
Depression Screening and Education Day is a response to this groundbreaking Mental Health and Well-Being Survey. Since 1995, this high-profile community education event has reached out to 20,000 British Columbians; of those screened for depression, 70% reported symptoms consistent with major depression and 40% had never before been treated for a mood disorder.
“We know that when people feel they will be listened to, not judged, and provided with quality information they can use and old fashioned TLC, they are that much more comfortable seeking help and finding value from it,” says Sarah Hamid-Balma, mental health educator and provincial event coordinator. “That’s what this event is all about.”
Screenings are completely free, anonymous, and confidential. All sites are walk-in and do not require an appointment. At a designated screening and education site, participants have the opportunity to learn more about depression in its various forms, as well as related conditions, and evidence-based treatments; fill out a short questionnaire to see if symptoms of depression are present; talk privately with a clinician about the quiz results and next steps; and find out about resources and supports in their community. There are specially tailored screening forms available for adults, seniors, children, teens, Asian communities, new or expectant mothers, and people who are concerned about a friend or family member. Anyone is welcome to attend — whether you want to fill out a questionnaire or not. Some sites also have resources in languages other than English. Many sites also host presentations, workshops or educational videos.
To find the screening site location and hours in your area for October 9th or to find out about confidential telephone screening if you don’t have a site in your community or are unable to attend one, please call our provincial event information line: it’s a free call at 1-866-917-HOPE (4673) and will be operational throughout September and October. All the information is also available online at www.cmha-bc.org/dsed.
On October 9th, during Mental Illness Awareness Week across Canada, the 9th annual Depression Screening and Education Day runs in 70 local sites all across BC, double the number of sites the event had just a few years ago. Other innovations this year include the following:
- a dozen sites specifically reaching out to aboriginal communities across BC, from larger urban centres to rural or remote areas
- for the first time, there are as many sites in the Cariboo and Northern regions of BC as there are in the Lower Mainland
- several sites devoted to postpartum-depression screening, outreach and education, in partnership with the BC Reproductive Mental Health program
- multilingual screenings in a half dozen languages for one of the major Lower Mainland sites
- more sites reaching out to young people through partnerships with local child and youth mental health practitioners, and several sites conducting screenings in high schools
- a greater attention to depression’s coexistence with other mental disorders including anxiety disorders and alcohol and drug problems. Four pilot sites will be conducting anxiety-disorders screening in addition to depression screening and all sites will have more anxiety and substance-use related information available than ever before.
“Historically, around 600 individuals from at least 100 public, private and nonprofit agencies partner to make this event come alive for thousands of British Columbians,” says Hamid-Balma. “But never have I seen the commitment and involvement happening this year; the number of players and partners will probably triple. And when more people and agencies in a community work together for depression and related mental health education and support, the more supportive and integrated the help citizens receive.”
Depression Screening and Education Day is presented by the recently-formed BC Partners for Mental Health and Addictions Information, currently comprised of the Anxiety Disorders Association of BC (ADABC), Awareness and Networking around Disordered Eating (ANAD), the BC Schizophrenia Society (BCSS), the Canadian Mental Health Association’s BC Division (CMHA), the Kaiser Foundation (a BC addictions charity), the Mental Health Evaluation and Community Consultation Unit at UBC (Mheccu), and the Mood Disorders Association of BC (MDA). Combined, the groups have more than 100 years of service to British Columbians and regional branch networks or linkages throughout the province. Funding for the event in BC has been provided by the Ministry of Health Services. Corporate sponsors include Shoppers Drug Mart, Wyeth Canada, and the BC Psychological Association. Special thanks also to our provincial media sponsors, BC CTV and 600AM radio.
Submitted newspaper-ready articles (recently produced) on depression, bipolar disorder, seasonal affective disorder, postpartum depression, anxiety disorders, substance use problems and other topics available for free to be reproduced verbatim from www.cmha-bc.org/resources/primer. These articles feature statistics, interviews, sidebars and quality information about mental disorders. Local Depression Screening and Education Day info can be easily appended to the bottom of these stories.
[See PDF for list of screening sites in BC.]
Provincial Media Contact
Sarah Hamid-Balma
Public Education and Communications Coordinator
Canadian Mental Health Association, BC Division
1-800-555-8222 or 604-688-3234
