Jewish Family Service of Rockland County, Inc.

Quality ~ Accountability ~ Confidentiality ~ Affordability

900 Route 45, Suite 2, New City, NY 10956 -- Phone: 845-354-2121 -- Fax 845-354-2928

Depression
Screening

Geriatric and
Elder Care

Ramapo
Senior Citizen
Enhancement
Program (SEP)

Jewish Family
Life Education

Free Depression Screening

Jewish Family Service is part of the National Depression Screening Day program. One specially assigned day in October of each year, tens of thousands of people participate in similar education and screening programs around the country.

A handful of locations continue to offer the (free) service year round - JFS is one of those sites.

People with depression often feel alone, not realizing that depression affects many people, and fewer than half the people suffering from depressive disorders actually receive treatment. The goal of this program is to teach the public about the signs and symptoms of depression, and to help individuals determine whether they, or someone they love, can benefit from a complete evaluation and possible treatment. Depression is one of the most treatable of illnesses, with the vast majority of sufferers showing improvement in as little as eight weeks.

Common symptoms of depression include feelings of sadness, loss of pleasure in usual activities, feelings of hopelessness, helplessness, and worthlessness, changes in sleep and appetite, loss of energy, restlessness, and thoughts of death or suicide. Bi-Polar disorder or Manic-depression also includes feelings of euphoria and/or agitation.

Did You Know that -

Between 17 and 20 million Americans each year develop some form of depression
One in every 5 adults may experience a depression at some point in their lives
Twice as many women as men suffer from depression, but risks for bipolar disorder (manic-depression) are similar in men and women
Dysthymia is a mild form of depression that lasts two years or more
The World Health Organization estimates that by the year 2020, unipolar major depression will be the second most burdensome illness in the world, surpassing respiratory infections and tuberculosis
Teen suicide rates have increased more than 300% since the 1950s
Recent studies show that heart attack survivors with major depression have a 3-4 times greater risk of dying within six months than those who do not suffer from depression

These screenings are free, confidential, and participants can remain anonymous. Participants do not receive a diagnosis, but rather an indication of whether or not symptoms of depression are present. Participants are given a depression screening form to complete, they are then given either by video or by a mental health professional, a 15 to 20 minute presentation on depression and manic-depression, they are provided with informational pamphlets, and receive a five to ten minute personal confidential screening interview with a mental health professional to discuss the results of their screening form and a possible referral for further evaluation.