Vinfen Hosts National Depression Screening Day Event

October 5th, 2010

NEWS RELEASE
Vinfen Corporation
Communications & Public Affairs Dept.
950 Cambridge Street
Cambridge, MA 02141
617-441-1800
www.vinfen.org

For immediate release:  (Click here for the PDF)
October 6, 2010

        VINFEN HOSTS NATIONAL DEPRESSION SCREENING DAY EVENT

                                      Got the blues?  You are not alone

(Cambridge, MA) –Vinfen People Care Clinic in Lawrence is conducting a free National Depression Screening Day event on Thursday, October 7 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at 439 South Union Street in Lawrence.

 The National Depression Screening Day event is being held to help fight the stigma too often associated with depression.  Participants will be given the opportunity complete a brief questionnaire and speak with a health care professional about any concerns. 

“One of the myths around depression is that it is normal among certain populations.  Depression shouldn’t be a normal part of life for anyone, regardless of their situation,” said Julie Nason, LMHC.  “This Screening Event will help people identify symptoms and get help.”

Some facts associated with depression:

 - Women are twice as likely to develop clinical depression as men. And as many as one out of every four women is likely to experience an episode of major depression at some point in life.

 - More than 6 million men in the U.S. have at least one episode of major depression each year. Unfortunately, the lingering image of depression as a female condition may keep men who are clinically depressed from recognizing the symptoms of depression and seeking treatment.

 - Older Americans are disproportionately likely to die by suicide. Although they comprise only 12 percent of the U.S. population, people age 65 and older accounted for 16 percent of suicide deaths in 2004.  

 - People from different cultures express symptoms of depression in various ways. In addition to changes in their mood, Hispanics tend to experience depression as bodily aches and pains (like stomachaches, backaches or headaches) that persist despite medical treatment.

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