Spring Break
URI Counseling Center holds depression, anxiety screening
Chris Curtis
Issue date: 10/17/08 Section: News
10/17/08 - The University of Rhode Island Counseling Center yesterday held a free depression and anxiety screening in the Memorial Union gallery.
Holly Nichols, a clinical counselor with the URI Counseling Center, organized the event.
"I think [depression and anxiety] are pretty common," she said. "Students face a lot of stressors and I think sometimes that can be overwhelming for them."
According to a survey conducted by the American College Health Association, 18.9 percent of college students surveyed in Fall 2007 reported having experienced depression at some point during the past year, and 13.1 percent reported an anxiety disorder.
"I would say depression in general is a major concern across all populations, I don't think that there's any outstanding or significant need on this campus versus others," said Cory Clark, assistant director of the Counseling Center.
The screening process consisted of interested students filling out a brief questionnaire and spending 5-10 minutes reviewing their responses with a therapist.
Questions included how often students had felt hopeless about the future or had feelings of worthlessness within the past two weeks, as well as whether there had ever had a period of time when they had excessive amounts of energy or were much more interested in sex than usual.
The function of the screening was not specifically for naming mental health problems, but as a preliminary step toward assistance for those who need it, Nichols said.
"It's not meant to give a diagnosis, it's more of a screening tool to help clarify a need for treatment or additional support," Clark said.
Nichols pointed out that depression in the clinical sense differs from the term's common use.
"Clinical depression is an actual diagnosis hat has particular criteria," she said. "Someone might be in a funk, they might be having a bad day, but that's not the same as being clinically depressed."
Holly Nichols, a clinical counselor with the URI Counseling Center, organized the event.
"I think [depression and anxiety] are pretty common," she said. "Students face a lot of stressors and I think sometimes that can be overwhelming for them."
According to a survey conducted by the American College Health Association, 18.9 percent of college students surveyed in Fall 2007 reported having experienced depression at some point during the past year, and 13.1 percent reported an anxiety disorder.
"I would say depression in general is a major concern across all populations, I don't think that there's any outstanding or significant need on this campus versus others," said Cory Clark, assistant director of the Counseling Center.
The screening process consisted of interested students filling out a brief questionnaire and spending 5-10 minutes reviewing their responses with a therapist.
Questions included how often students had felt hopeless about the future or had feelings of worthlessness within the past two weeks, as well as whether there had ever had a period of time when they had excessive amounts of energy or were much more interested in sex than usual.
The function of the screening was not specifically for naming mental health problems, but as a preliminary step toward assistance for those who need it, Nichols said.
"It's not meant to give a diagnosis, it's more of a screening tool to help clarify a need for treatment or additional support," Clark said.
Nichols pointed out that depression in the clinical sense differs from the term's common use.
"Clinical depression is an actual diagnosis hat has particular criteria," she said. "Someone might be in a funk, they might be having a bad day, but that's not the same as being clinically depressed."
